Remembering the Past
by September Whisper
Summary: Complete. With questions about her childhood on her mind, Tohru Honda begins to remember things that haven't come up before. Could she have possibly had her memories erased when she was younger?
1. Questions

Hello, and Happy New Year! I'm September Whisper, and this is my first fan fiction! I kind of feel this story is a little over detailed...If it is, please tell me! I'll do my best to have it suit your likings! I also apologize in advance for any grammar and spelling errors. Please enjoy reading this first chapter, and please review! Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fruits Basket, nor do Ihave any associationwith Natsuki Takaya, Hakusensha publishers, Hana to Yume Magazine,or TOKYOPOP (I wish I did!).

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**Chapter One: Questions**

Tohru Honda woke to a bright light shining through her window. She slowly turned onto her stomach so her face was dug into the pillow, only to ignore the sunrays leaking into the room. She didn't bother to look over at her clock, for she felt to fatigued and weak to even turn her head. But the loud irritating beep that broke the peaceful silence in the room caused her head to snap up and her hand to travel to the clock and press the 'off' button. Tohru got up and swung her legs off the side of her bed, emitting a soft yawn while rubbing her eyes. Stretching up her arms, she scratched the back of her head as she looked around her bedroom. "Well, I guess it's time to get dressed!" she said to herself.

Outside, the blankets of white snow began to slowly dissolve, announcing that spring was but on its way. Tiny pink buds of flowers started to blossom on every other tree or so, and birds returned to their normal routines of perching themselves on fence posts and birdhouses. The air went back to smelling like fresh grass, and the sky grew bluer as the days went on. Tohru was excited about being able to go back to Yuki's secret base with him soon, for she went with him everyday in the springtime so she could pick out some of the night's dinner ingredients. Spring was also her favorite time of the year, only because it made her feel so free and alive.

With the pleasant upcoming season on her mind, Tohru happily walked over to her closet and opened the doors. Scanning the group of clothes that hung on hangers before her, she finally picked out a deep pink colored short sleeved dress along with a crisp white sweater to go with it. The sweater was just short enough to stop eight inches before her waist, and along the rims of the ruffled sleeves were little pink designs to match the dress. Tohru gently took the dress and sweater off their hangers and placed them on her bed. She then walked over to her oak wood dresser and opened the top left drawer, which was filled with multiple colored hair accessories and silk ribbons. She took out two light pink satin ribbons and put them on the top of the dresser. Her hand trailed to the knob of the top right drawer, which carried all of her bras and cotton panties. She took out one of each, and then went over to her bed, where her clothes were, so she could dress for the new day. Tohru started off by unbuttoning her silky yellow nightshirt, and then slid it off her arms. She slipped into her bra and hooked the back, then brought her dress over her head and pulled on it from the bottom so it would be free of wrinkles and so it would hug her body nicely. She took off her pants, put on a new pair of panties, and then put on her sweater. Once she was finished, Tohru went over to the mirror and put her hair into two long braids, using the two pink ribbons to keep each braid together at the end. She slowly caressed the smooth, silky end of her right tress while examining herself in the mirror, making sure she looked presentable to the three men in the house. Tohru nodded in approval and grinned back at her reflection. Then she slipped on a pair of white socks before going downstairs to start on breakfast.

While heading towards the stairs, Tohru stopped so she could hear the faint snoring of the Yuki and Kyo from their rooms. A bright smile grew across her face as she thought of the two boys, and how they each made her completely happy everyday by just being themselves. There was Yuki, her prince, who had treated her like a princess for the eighteen months she was living there. Then there was Kyo, and though he acted rowdy and tough all the time, he really was a kind and sweet person under the rough exterior he had put up. And there was Shigure, the man who had watched her for those long, exciting months. Tohru felt so blessed that she could be part of this wonderful family, but the catch was: the lived under a heavy curse.

The Sohma family was filled with fantastic, beautiful people. Each person was wonderful and different in their own unique ways. Tohru first knew Yuki from school, and then met Shigure on that faithful day she became more involved with the family. Before taking residence in Shigure's house, Tohru had lived in a tent on Sohma property, only because she had lost her mother due to a treacherous car accident. Tohru had lived with her grandfather four months prior to meeting Shigure, but his house was being remodeled and he needed Tohru to stay with a friend while he stayed at his daughter-in-law's home. Tohru's best friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima, either had a small home or a big family, and she didn't want to be a burden to them, so she bought a tent and managed to live on her own. One day while walking to school, she came across Shigure's home and noticed little glass ornaments, each one representing the Chinese Zodiac. There was every animal, from the rat to the boar, all but the cat. Tohru then told Shigure, after he had noticed her looking at them, about how she favored the cat of the zodiac and wished she had been born in that year instead of being born in the year of the dog. That night, Shigure and Yuki had learned that Tohru had been living in tent on their property, and she ended up spending the night there, unexpectedly of course. The next morning, when she awoke, she had been invited by Yuki and Shigure to live there with them until her grandfather's remodeling was done. After a bit of, "Oh, no! I couldn't possibly stay here…It would be too much!" Tohru finally agreed. While Yuki showed her to her room, an unanticipated visitor fell through the roof, who was none other than Kyo Sohma, the ostracized cat of the family. He had come there to fight with Yuki, not until Tohru accidentally fell and hugged him, which caused Kyo to transform into a cat. At first, Tohru fell into a large state of shock, and wanted to send him to a hospital. A piece of wood from the newly torn ceiling had fallen onto her head and caused her to fall into Yuki and Shigure. Now Yuki was a rat, and Shigure was a dog, and they were somewhat forced to tell her why they were in such conditions.

This was when Tohru learned about the family's curse, and since that day she grew to learn more and more about each Sohma everyday. Not long after that, Tohru met Kagura, the boar, and learned about her passionate love for Kyo. Then Tohru met Hatori, the dragon, who transforms into a seahorse instead, and Momiji, the rabbit. Tohru was then acquainted with Hatsharu the ox, Ayame the snake (who is also Yuki's older brother), Kisa the tiger, and Hiro the sheep. She also grew acquainted with Kazuma Sohma, Kyo's foster father. At the same time, Tohru learned about Kyo's other form, and still accepted him. In the midst of meeting all of those family members, she also met the head of the family, Akito Sohma. Akito had given her the impression that he was a sweet and tender person, but Tohru soon learned that Akito had another side to him. Akito had hurt Hatori's left eye because he wanted to be married to someone outside of the Chinese Zodiac, and he had also abused Yuki when he was younger. Akito also did harmful things to other members of the family, but that didn't keep Tohru from trying to like him.

Then she met Isuzu, also known as Rin, the horse. Tohru learned that she and Hatsharu had a relationship in the past, but due to Akito luring Rin out of a window and putting her in the hospital, the relationship between the two ended. Tohru also met Kureno, who was the rooster up until his curse was lifted when he was younger. Why his curse was lifted is still a mystery to Kureno, and also to the entire family.

As these thoughts trailed in her mind, Tohru happily sighed to herself while walking down the steps. She went into the kitchen, slid the door open, and walked inside. She made her way to the cabinets to take out the ingredients she was to use for preparing breakfast. "Let's see," she spoke quietly, making sure she wouldn't talk loud enough to wake up Yuki, Kyo, or Shigure. "I need rice…Oh, and the ingredients for the miso soup, too!" Tohru stood on her tiptoes so she could look more inside the cabinet for what she needed. She retrieved a large bag of uncooked rice and dashi soup stock, soybeans, and salt for the soup. She also found some miso paste and took some green vegetables out of the refrigerator. "Maybe I'll put pickles on the side this time," Tohru suggested while placing the ingredients the counter to bend down so she could open the floor cabinet for the bowls to put the items in.

Tohru placed one of the bowls on the counter and brought the other to the sink so she could fill it up for the rice. She poured two cups worth of the rice into the bowl and washed it until the water became clear. She then drained the rice and placed it into the rice cooker. Tohru set the timer for forty-five minutes and then turned her attention to the miso soup. She prepared the dashi soup stock in a pan and placed it on the stove to boil. While it was boiling, she added some soybeans, some rice, and some salt. She had the miso paste in a bowl on the side, and poured some of the dashi soup from the pan into the paste. She added the general miso to the pan and stirred it. Humming while she worked, Tohru felt as happy as ever. Being that it was Sunday, she was able to spend her free day with Yuki and Kyo. Maybe she would do a little cleaning and tidying up, too.

Thirty minutes had passed and Tohru was now setting up the table. She placed four bowls, plates, and pairs of chopsticks in the center of the table, then went to the stove to prepare the tea. While adding water to the kettle, Tohru heard footsteps heading toward the kitchen, along with a loud yawn. The door opened, and Tohru turned around to see an exhausted Kyo, rubbing his eyes and grunting. "Ah, good morning Kyo-kun!" Tohru greeted cheerfully. "Morning," he replied under his breath. Kyo walked over to the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk, taking a sip straight out of the container. He wiped the milk off the top of his lip with his arm, and then placed the carton back in its place in the refrigerator. He joined Tohru at the stove, towel over his shoulder. "You cooking anything with leeks today?" he mumbled, trying to rub off last night's sleep.

"No, not today!" Tohru replied. The timer for the rice cooker went off, and Kyo got to it before Tohru could even move. She continued, "We're having steamed rice and miso soup this morning. I still have to decide what to make for lunch…I might have to stop by the grocery store later! Would that be okay with you, Yuki-kun, and Shigure-san?" Kyo shrugged while he took the rice out of the cooker, and poured it into a bowl. He set the bowl on the table and sat down on the floor, crossing his legs Indian-style and folding his arms over his chest. The kettle on the stove made a piercing whistle, announcing that the water for the tea was boiled and ready. Tohru poured the water from the kettle into four tiny cups and placed a tea bag in each one. She set down each cup at a spot on the table. She and Kyo then heard footsteps coming down the stairs and making their way to the kitchen. The door slid open and Shigure walked in, stretching and smiling like he always did in the morning.

"Good morning!" Shigure sang, causing Kyo to twitch "How's my little flower this morning?" Tohru smiled as she brought a bowl of miso soup to the table. "I'm good, Shigure-san! How did you sleep?" Shigure took his place at the table and sighed. "Ah, it was rough, but it looks as if that old mattress of mine is getting the boot soon!" He held up his pointer finger, with a look of reassurance on his face. "Not to worry! I'll go out soon and look for a new one! I—"

"Oh, Shigure-san!" Tohru interrupted. "You shouldn't have to sleep on that if you don't like it! Maybe you could sleep in my bed tonight, and I could sleep down here! I don't mind!" Kyo slammed down his fist on the table in anger. "Dammit! No body," he pointed to Tohru, "especially _you_, is sleeping down here! It's his own damn fault for not buying a new mattress sooner!" Shigure shook his raised finger at Kyo, making him angrier. "Tsk, tsk, Kyo-kun. Tohru-kun was just being thoughtful! It's not everyday a kind, innocent girl offers you her own bed to sleep in! Why, if Tohru-kun offered _you_ her bed, would you explode like you did just now?"

"Shut up!" Kyo hollered. "Why should I have to hear your annoying voice this early in the morning?" Shigure laughed as Kyo made a jump for him. "Eh, why don't we begin eating now?! I'm sure Yuki-kun will be down soon!" Tohru suggested nervously. Not a moment passed before Yuki had opened the kitchen door and shuffled over to the table, head down with his hair in his face. "Speak of the devil," Kyo groaned as he rested his chin in his hand.

Yuki sat down at the table and rubbed his eyes, emitting a loud yawn. "What are you yelling about this early in the morning, you stupid cat?" he questioned Kyo, a tone of annoyance in his voice. Kyo ignored his remark and began to eat the food Tohru had set in front of him. Shigure and Yuki did the same, and Tohru began to clean the counter. "Tohru-kun," Shigure said. "Why don't you come over here and join us in eating this wonderful breakfast you prepared?" Now washing the bowls and pans, Tohru shook her head. "Oh, I'm fine Shigure-san! I'll eat once I'm finished cleaning!" Yuki shook his head this time. "Come eat with us, Honda-san. I'll help you clean up when we're all finished." Tohru considered this, but she felt as if the cleaning should be done before she ate. She sighed and put down the bowls, took of her apron, and joined the three men at the table. During breakfast, she chatted happily with them and received approval from Shigure about going to the grocery store later that afternoon. Yuki had also offered to accompany her, and Tohru gladly accepted.

Morning was now over and time brought by the afternoon. Shigure had locked himself in his office, working on his latest piece of writing and ignoring his editor, Mii. Kyo glued himself to the television, watching a martial arts training session while trying to memorize any of the moves he already didn't know. Yuki had gone to his secret base, tending to the green plants as if they were tiny little infants. As for Tohru, she was outside hanging the laundry, once again humming while admiring nature's beauty. She inhaled the fresh air and sighed with a smile. "It's so nice out today," she told herself. She picked up a crisp white bed sheet from the laundry basket and pinned it up to the clothing line with three clothespins. She repeated the process with one of Kyo's shirts, a pair of Yuki's pants, and a few of her own dresses. Each article of clothing was warm, soft, and smelt of fresh detergent. Before hanging up everything, Tohru would dig her face in the clothing and enjoy the softness of the cloth.

The wind blew the large sheet into Tohru's face. She giggled as she pushed it away so she could continue hanging up the laundry. Birds flew by and perched themselves on nearby trees, as if they were watching her. Once Tohru finished the laundry, she hurried inside so she could put in the other load. About an hour passed, and Yuki still hadn't come home. Tohru had considered going to the secret base to see if he needed help, but Kyo told her to let it be.

"If he wanted your help, he would've come back and asked you," Kyo remarked. "Don't worry about him. If something happened we would know by now." Tohru pondered about what he had said, and decided that he was right. If Yuki had needed help, he would have come back to the house and asked her to help him. But out of curiosity, Tohru wanted to see how all of the vegetables were doing, and if Yuki needed to plant any more. "I'll go after I'm done with the next load of laundry, just to see how he's doing. Would you like to come, Kyo-kun?" Kyo waved his arm and rolled his eyes. "Pfft…Like I'd go there," he responded.

After she was finished hanging up the second load of laundry, Tohru was ready to go to Yuki's secret base. She bid her farewells to Kyo and Shigure, and headed off. Tohru dressed a little more warmly because once the evening came, it grew chillier and felt more like winter. The wind blew and brought a chill to Tohru's face, causing her to pull her coat tighter around her body. She let her hair flow with the current of the wind. "I hope Yuki-kun dressed warmly! It's pretty cold now!" Tohru said with a shiver. As she grew closer to the secret base, she could see Yuki's gray head over a bush. She began to run, and came to halt when she reached him. Tohru began to pant and shiver at the same time, causing Yuki to turn around to see what the noise was.

"Honda-san?!" Yuki exclaimed as he got up. "What are you doing here?" He walked to Tohru and put a hand on her shoulder. "You look cold…Maybe you should go back. I was just about to head home soon, anyway." Tohru shook her head and knelt down beside the small rows of vegetables. "I came here to see how you were doing! I guess I was going to do some food shopping once you were finished!" She gazed at the vegetable garden, admiring it. "It looks wonderful! Did you have to replant anything?"

Yuki knelt down beside her and nodded. "I had to replant some of it…Like the leeks. The snow went pretty hard on them. Maybe when we go to the grocery store I can pick out some seed packets to plant new things in a few weeks. What do you think?" Tohru nodded and beamed. "That sounds good! I just can't believe how well they did during the winter!" Yuki chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it's pretty amazing how they can survive the cold like that." He took off his gardening gloves and placed them in his lap. The two were silent for a few minutes, but the silence was broken by a question from Tohru. "Yuki-kun, did you have lunch yet?" Yuki shook his head. Tohru began to panic and said that they should go home right away so he could eat, but Yuki settled her down. "Don't worry. I'm not that hungry…I'll save my appetite for dinner."

"Are you sure?" Tohru said with concern. "I left Shigure-san and Kyo-kun some lunch. I'm sure there's some left over! And it's never really good to go food shopping on an empty stomach…Mom always said that you can buy the whole store when you're hungry!" Yuki laughed again, then got up. "Do you want to go to the store now?" he asked. "I just need to stop home first so I can change. My clothes got pretty dirty from sitting in the dirt all day." Tohru got up and started for the house. "Sure! While we're home, you can get something to eat!" She laughed and began running. Yuki started running after her, and the two ran the rest of the way home, laughing like little children.

Back at the house, Yuki had some of the lunch Tohru had made for Shigure and Kyo. Shigure had come out of his office to greet the two, and he gave Tohru a small list of things he needed from the grocery store. Kyo was resting in the living room, and Tohru didn't bother to disturb his sleep. After Yuki had finished his lunch and changed his clothes, he and Tohru headed off for the store.

"Let's see…Shigure-san asked for onions…Oh, and some candy too!" Tohru spoke to herself while she browsed through the shelves in the food store. _What a baby_, Yuki thought, regarding Shigure putting candy on his list. Tohru picked out a bag of gummies from the shelf and gently dropped it in the basket she had in her arms. She then led Yuki over to the vegetable section to pick out two onions. While in the fish department looking for codfish, Tohru saw a little girl smiling and laughing happily with her mother and father. Tohru smiled as she watched the three, remembering how she used to come to the stores all the time with her mother. But her father…She didn't seem to remember anything about him.

Tohru closed her eyes. She was told by her mother that her father, Katsuya Honda, passed away of pneumonia when she was three. But couldn't she remember him at least a _little _bit of him? Her mind was blank. In fact, she really couldn't remember anything from before she was eight. It all seemed like a blur to her. Tohru didn't remember any of her old friends, what she used to do…Nothing. _Maybe I'll visit grandpa one day and ask him if I could see pictures of me with my parents_, she thought to herself. Yes, that was a good idea. Maybe next Sunday she would do that.

A waving hand popped in front of her face. "Honda-san? Are you okay?" Yuki inquired rather loudly. Tohru guessed that she probably had spaced out again. "Oh, yes, Yuki-kun! I'm sorry…I just got lost in thought." Yuki nodded then gently took the basket from Tohru's hands. "You almost dropped this before, so why don't I carry it?" Tohru shook her head and tried to take it back from him. "Oh, that's okay! Thank you, but I can carry it!" Yuki smiled, but didn't let her take the basket. "Please, let me hold it, Honda-san. We still have a lot more things to get, and I don't want this to get too heavy for you."

"Oh, um, okay then…" As the two made their way into one of the isles, Tohru looked back at the little girl and her parents. They were over at a gumball machine. The little girl was watching a gumball go through all of the loops and turns of the dispenser while her parents stood by her, smiling. Tohru couldn't help but smile again herself. It brought back memories, but they were memories that Tohru didn't quite remember that well. All of this thinking was making Tohru somewhat faint and tired. "I think I'll go to bed a little early tonight," she mumbled to herself. Yuki stopped and turned around. "Did you say something, Honda-san?" Tohru looked up and shook her head, pretending to search the shelves for something. "Nope! I didn't say anything!" _I don't want Yuki-kun to think there's something wrong. The last thing I want is people worrying about me!_

For the rest of their shopping, Tohru remained silent, but made an exception if Yuki asked her a question or commented on something. The walk home was no different either, and this caused Yuki to think there _was_ something wrong with Tohru.

"Are you sure you're feeling good?" he questioned her as they reached the door. "You were quiet on the way home and for most of the shopping. Do you want me to take care of dinner while you lay down for a little bit?" Tohru frantically shook her head and nearly dropped the bad of groceries she was holding. "NO! I couldn't possibly make you do that! It's my duty to make sure you, Kyo-kun, and Shigure-san have your meals! I feel fine! I was just…Thinking a lot. Please, don't worry about me."

Yuki bit his lower lip, but then curved his frown into a smile. "Okay then. But if you do feel like resting, you could leave the cooking to Kyo and me." He opened the door and as he made his way in, Tohru touched his shoulder. He turned to see her smiling at him. "Thank you for worrying about me, Yuki-kun. It makes me feel happy knowing that you're concerned about me." Yuki returned her smile with a nod and a smile of his own. "No problem." Then he stepped inside, and Tohru followed him.

For dinner, Tohru prepared Nukijaga (meat and potatoes). She also served it with a side of Gomaae, Japanese sesame dressing with spinach. At the table, Shigure talked about his new novel, Kyo and Yuki brawled, and Tohru tried to calm them down. Shigure also chimed in with a few of his jokes, which made Kyo fire up and holler at him, being that the jokes were about Tohru being his bride and his little housewife. "Why don't you tell him to stop joking around like that?" Kyo questioned her after dinner. Tohru was clearing the table, and Kyo stayed to help. Shrugging, Tohru laughed. "Oh, I know Shigure-san doesn't mean it!" She placed the dishes and bowls in the sink. "Well, you should at least stick up for yourself _once_ in a while," Kyo continued while he went to stand next to her. "You wash, I dry," he demanded. Tohru nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Kyo-kun. I love when you and Yuki-kun help me with the dishes! It gives me someone to talk to!" Kyo shrugged and took the plate she offered him. "It's nothing," he replied, blushing. He then proceeded on about how Tohru shouldn't let people, especially Shigure, talk about her like that.

A half hour passed when Tohru and Kyo finished washing and drying the dishes. After putting them away in the cupboard, Tohru took a bath and then said good night to everyone before retiring to her bedroom. She sat up in her bed, pink blankets and sheets all around her. Sighing, Tohru looked out her window at the pearly white moon that shone behind the trees. "Mom…Can you please help me remember my father? I would like to know what he looked like, what he did; how he laughed, how he smiled…I would like to know as much as I can about him. Do you think grandpa would be able to help? I know he's old and may not remember, but maybe he can show me some pictures of us with him? I'd like that…I think I'll go visit him next Sunday. I haven't seen him in a while, so it would also be a nice time to catch up on things, right? Oh mom…I wish you were here. I miss you so much! There's not one day when I don't think about you…"

Tohru dabbed some tears from her eyes with he cuffs of her nightshirt's sleeves. "I'm sorry, Mom! I know I shouldn't be crying…But they're not tears of sadness! I'm crying because I'm so happy. Whenever I think of you, it makes me so happy. Also being here everyday and being able to spend time with Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, Shigure-san, and the rest of the Sohma family really makes me feel so blessed. Thank you…Thank you so much for watching over me." She blew a kiss toward the moon and draped the blankets over her. She gently rested her head on her pillow, and reached over her night table to turn on her alarm and to shut off her light. When Tohru turned the light off, it really didn't make a difference; the moonlight was shining through the window, making the room glow as it had before the light was turned off. Tohru didn't mind though. She thought of the moon as her nightlight.

Closing her eyes, Kyoko's voice trailed through Tohru's mind.

_Your father was a wonderful person…My days were always bright and sunny just by being with him. Once you were born, Tohru, nothing could have made us happier. Your father loved you so much…He treated you like a princess. He's the reason I was able to raise you like I did…_

"I know, Mom," Tohru spoke softly, turning on her side to face the wall. "I just wish you could have told me more about him when I was younger." Yawning, Tohru decided to try and go to sleep. Downstairs, she could hear Shigure's and Yuki's voices, talking about miscellaneous matters. She had also heard footsteps pass her bedroom, and she took a guess that it was probably Kyo walking to the bathroom to wash up for the night.

Many images had flooded through Tohru's mind as she slept. Arisa, Saki, her grandfather, her cousin and aunt, the children she played Fruits Basket with when she was little…Her mother and her, standing before her father's grave, the candle sticks on either side letting off light trails of smoke…A little boy with fiery orange hair…

As the image of the little boy and her playing in the park traveled in her brain, Tohru's eyes shot open and she quickly sat up. She didn't remember this little boy at all.

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Ah, how was that? I hope you all liked it! I'll have the second chapter up as soon as possible! Please review, as I am anxious to hear what everyone thinks of my story! I'll see you all the next time around!

-September Whisper


	2. New Discoveries

It's the second chapter! I'm so happy with all of the reviews I received for the first chapter. Thank you so much!!! This chapter contains information from chapters ninety, ninety-one, and ninety-two. It's all the way at the end, so if you don't want to read it, and you would like to wait for volume sixteen to come out, then you don't have to read it! I don't mind! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fruits Basket, nor do I have any association with Natsuki Takaya, Hakusensha publishers, Hana to Yume Magazine, or TOKYOPOP (I wish I did!).

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**Chapter Two: New Discoveries**

For the rest of the night, Tohru couldn't sleep, for all she thought about was the little boy with bright orange hair. She saw him, and her, playing in the park together. He would be calling her name, pushing her on the swings; they even had lunch together. Kyoko seemed to know him too because she was laughing a smiling with them.

"_Come on, Tohru! Let's go on the monkey bars! I'll help if you need me to!"_

Tohru brought her knees to her chest. She was very exhausted, yet she just couldn't fall asleep. "Maybe…Maybe he's my long lost brother!" she exclaimed as the sudden thought popped in her head. "Mom had that color hair too, right? Eh, then how come he never lived with us? Does he live with another family member?" Beads of sweat began to run down her face in result of her abrupt panic. "Does that mean I can possibly have more brothers or sisters somewhere?! Oh my…I wonder if he's older or younger. I need to see grandpa right away! I know he'll tell me everything!" With all the possibilities and thoughts on her mind, Tohru didn't even notice she was hanging off the edge of her bed until she fell off with a loud thud.

"Oh!" Tohru peeped. "I hope I didn't wake anyone!" She got up and climbed back into bed, but hesitated. "I should go wash my face. I don't really feel like going to sleep now…" She took out a yellow bathrobe from her closet and walked out of the room, heading for the bathroom. Tohru walked on her tiptoes so she wouldn't make any noise that would disturb Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure while they all slept. In the bathroom, she quietly ran the water, cupping her hands and holding them under the flowing liquid. Once enough water had filled her hands, she splashed it onto her face and sighed. It felt so refreshing, and it woke her up, too.

After drying her face with one of the towels that hung on the wall, Tohru went back to her room. She sat at her desk and hugged herself. "Am I jumping to conclusions? Could he have just been a friend? But how come I never seen him before? I don't remember playing with a little boy who had orange hair! He must be my brother…He resembled mom a lot!" Tohru looked to the window and stared out at the moon. It shone brightly behind the bare naked tree branches in front of the house. "Mom…Is this telling me something?" she spoke to the moon. "Are you trying to tell me that I have a brother? If I find him, will he help me out in remembering my father?" Yawning, Tohru rubbed the back of her head. "My head hurts from thinking so much…I really should go back to sleep. It's probably two o'clock in the morning!"

Tohru turned her head toward the clock that sat on her night table. "Twelve-thirty," she read. "Nya, twelve-thirty?!? You mean I've only been up here for an hour?! That means Shigure-san and Yuki-kun still might be up!" Tohru quickly got up, nearly knocking over her chair, and ran out of the room. She practically ran down the stairs, holding on tightly to her robe so it wouldn't fly open. At the bottom of the stairs, she could here Shigure and Yuki talking.

"No, he is _not_ coming tomorrow!" Yuki said in a stern tone before taking a sip of tea. Shigure whined. "But Yuki-kun! Aaya hasn't been here in such a long time! I'd like to see him!" Yuki shut his eyes in frustration and put down his cup. "If you want to see him so much, go visit him instead of having that idiot come here! It'll save Hatori the trouble of driving him over." Tohru began panting at the end of the staircase, and Yuki and Shigure turned their heads.

"Honda-san?" Yuki said in surprise. He got up and hurried over to her. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" Shigure giggled. "Did Kyo-kun try to sleep in your bed with you?" Balling his fists, Yuki spun around. "Stay out of this!" With the sudden yelling, Tohru began to wheeze. "Eh, Honda-san, why don't you sit down…I'll, uh, get you some tea!" As Yuki brought her to the table, Tohru shook her head and held up her hands. "Oh no, I'm fine Yuki-kun I just wanted to see if you and Shigure-san were still up!" Shigure took a sip of his tea. "Why the rush? You weren't that anxious to see us, were you? I know you would never pass up the chance to have a nice conversation with me, Tohru-kun, but you didn't need to—Ouch!" Shigure looked up to see Yuki holding a frying pan in his hand. "Really, would you just shut up?" Shigure began to rub his head as Tohru shrieked and ran to the freezer for an ice pack. "You know, Yuki-kun, you must learn to control your temper! That goes for Kyo-kun too. If you both keep this up, I'll be in the hospital soon!" Yuki mumbled under his breath, "That wouldn't be a problem," and put back the frying pan. Tohru then scurried back to Shigure with an ice pack folded in a dishtowel. "Here, Shigure-san! Oh, I hope your head doesn't bruise!"

"Don't worry about him," Yuki said. "His head his is so swelled up, I'm sure he probably didn't even feel it." Tohru sat down on the opposite side of Shigure, making sure his head was alright. "You know, that hurt," Shigure stated. "It breaks my heart to know you think of me that way!" As Yuki began to build up his rage, Tohru attempted to calm him down. "Ah, eh, Yuki-kun, Shigure-san…Why don't you two go to bed? It's getting pretty late! But, if you want to stay don't here, that's okay too! I was only suggesting just because we have school tomorrow and I don't want you to get up too late!" Yuki stood up and walked to the stairs. "Good idea." He yawned and the started up the stairs. "Good night. I'll see you both in the morning…Honda-san, you better come up now. It's a full moon out tonight…I don't want Shigure going crazy on you." Tohru immediately got up, and bowed to Shigure. "Yes, um, good night Shigure-san! I hope you sleep well on your mattress! If you want to sleep on a better one, you can always wake me up and—" She felt herself being gently pushed up the stairs by Yuki. "Let's go. Don't give him any ideas." Shigure laughed as the two went upstairs for the night.

As they reached Yuki's bedroom, Tohru bade him good night and started for her own room, but was stopped by Yuki. "Honda-san, I'm beginning to get the feeling that something's wrong. Please, if there is, you can tell me. I'll try to help you anyway I can." Tohru nodded and smiled. "I know! But really, please don't worry about me! I'm fine!" Yuki sighed and rolled his eyes jokingly. "Here we go again!" They both laughed and said good night to each other one again. Tohru headed back to her room, walked in, and quietly shut the door behind her. She took off her robe and wrapped it around the back of her chair while pausing before getting back to bed. "I guess I'll try," she said to herself. Tohru climbed back in the bed, drew the covers over herself, and laid her head on the pillow. She stared at the ceiling, occasionally sighing, until her eyelids began to droop, and the little boy's voice began to fade away.

Then next morning before school was filled with thoughts and 'what-ifs' for Tohru. There were many possibilities of who this boy could be, and what his relation to Tohru and her mother was. He could have been her 'long lost brother', a friend, a relative, or a strange little boy she met just that day. But the one possibility that downed Tohru a bit was that the boy could have been just a dream. She could have just been dreaming that she was playing on the playground with a little boy…But it seemed too realistic that Tohru couldn't think that it wasn't reality. She remembered it so clearly, like it had just happened yesterday. While making breakfast that morning, Tohru pondered all of her thinking.

"I think I'll go to grandpa's house after school _today_," she said, molding a rice ball in her hands. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep anymore if I don't find out who that boy was! I barely slept last night…I kept tossing and turning. He looked so much like Mom! I felt like I've known him for a while, but I just can't put my foot on it." After molding the first rice ball, Tohru put it on a plate and started to shape a new one. "Maybe Mom _is_ trying to tell me something. After all, I was talking to her last night! She must have heard me!" At the thought of her mother, Tohru smiled and closed her eyes. Images of her mother flowed through her head. How she missed her so much.

Before Tohru knew it, she was finished with the rice balls and was making the tea. She hummed softly as she cleaned the pots and bowls she used to put together breakfast. She began to clean the counter while she waited for the kettle to whistle. Once it did, she poured the water into four cups and repeating what she did the previous morning. Then Tohru heard familiar footsteps coming toward the kitchen. The door slid open, and Kyo walked in, fresh from his early morning shower.

Tohru placed the four cups of tea, the plate of rice balls, and the bowl of miso soup on a serving tray to bring to the table. She picked up the try and turned around, making eye contact with Kyo. Then she froze and dropped the tray, which landed with a large crash. "K-Kyo-kun!" she gasped. Kyo looked at her with wide eyes. "Eh?! Tohru?! What's the matter?" He started to her, but Tohru just stared in shock. "You're…You're the little boy!" Sweat began to run down Kyo's face as he felt an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach develop. "What," he swallowed, "are y-you talking about?" The back of his mind knew, but the front tried to shove that away. She wasn't supposed to know!

"It's you," Tohru whispered as she continued. "You're the little boy I-I played with…We were in the park on the swings, having lunch…You asked me to go on the monkey bars, and you offered to help me. I recognize you now! Your hair…And your eyes!" Kyo began to stammer as Tohru stepped up to him so she could get a good look of his eyes. "I…I still have no clue what you're talking about!" Kyo backed up, nearly tripping over one of the legs on the table. Tohru nodded. She looked as if she was in a trance. "Yes you do! You even knew my mother…Please Kyo-kun. Tell me the truth. Are you that little boy that I'm talking about? Don't you remember, too? It _has_ to be you…You look so much like him! Please!" Her eyes grew from mysterious and wide, to a look of pleading that melted Kyo's heart. But he couldn't tell her. Then she would ask him everything he knew about her mother…

"I-I…I just came down to tell you that I'm not having breakfast!" Kyo said with a trembling voice. He then turned on his heel and fled out of the room, leaving Tohru who was still unconvinced. "Kyo-kun…" she whispered, her voice dry and raspy. She stared at the door for a long amount of time, until Yuki came in and saw her standing there with the tray by her feet, along with scattered pieces of broken glass, tea, rice balls, and miso soup around it. "Honda-san? What happened? Are you okay?" Her yes still on the door, Tohru nodded. She finally snapped back to reality and looked around at Yuki, and then at her feet. "Nyaaaaaaa!" she squeaked. "I broke the cups! And spilt the tea and the soup! And the rice balls! I'm so sorry!" As she quickly squatted down to pick everything up, she slipped in the spilt liquid and began to fall back! "Honda-san!" Yuki called. He made an attempt to grab her hand, her shoulder—_something_ to keep her from falling—but instead he slipped as well, and stumbled on top of her. Then there was the infamous 'POOF' followed by a cloud of gray smoke. In the midst of the smoke stood a tiny white rat, along with a weeping Tohru.

"I'm _so_ sorry Yuki-kun!" Tohru wailed. "I'm so pathetic! This is all my fault! I'm so sorry!" The smoke disappeared and Yuki climbed onto the top of Tohru's knee. "Please Honda-san. If you go on any longer you'll begin to sound like Ritsu! It's alright. As long as you're not hurt, there's nothing to worry about! All we have to do is clean up and it'll be fine." Tohru sniffed and dabbed her eyes with the hem of her apron. "But," she said between hiccups, "it was my fault!"

"Don't worry about it," Yuki said, a little sternly. "Let's clean up…I'll get off your lap before I—" Yuki was cut off by yet another 'POOF', and Tohru shrieked, jumped up, and ran out of the room to give some privacy to change. Once Yuki motioned for her to come back in, he and Tohru began cleaning up the dropped items. Yuki questioned her several times about it, but Tohru just smiled nervously and said there was nothing to worry about. While she cleaned and helped Yuki out, she couldn't stop thinking about Kyo. _Am I sure he's the little boy? He seemed very hesitant about it…Oh, I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable by questioning him so much!_ Tohru was ripped away from her thoughts by Yuki. "You won't have to make more breakfast," he said. "We'll just order takeout." Tohru shook her head and politely protested it, but Yuki only smiled and insisted. "You have to get ready for school. It'll take you a long time to make it all again. It's not big deal…We've had takeout before." Tohru opened her mouth, but Yuki lightly placed a slender finger on her nose. "Go get ready for school, Honda-san. I'll order breakfast while you're upstairs."

Tohru nodded and went upstairs to change into her uniform for school. Before going to her room, she stopped in front of Kyo's door and stared at it. She wanted to question him so much, but she knew he would chase her away. Tohru decided that she would try to confront him about it later on, and continued to her room where she changed out of her blouse and skirt and into her uniform. Once she was finished, she went to her window to take a good look outside; the view satisfied her. The sun was bright, the sky was clear, and it began to feel like spring again. Tohru headed out of her room and met Yuki downstairs, who had just finished ordering breakfast for the house. The breakfast arrived a little bit after Shigure came down, and him, Yuki, and Tohru happily ate it together (Kyo was still up in his room).

When it was time to go to school, Tohru gathered her courage and went up to Kyo's room. She quietly knocked on the door, hearing a low, "Come in," in response to it. She was surprised Kyo had even heard the knock, let along had invited her into the room. She turned the knob and opened the door to see Kyo sitting on his bed with his back to her. His head was rested on his curled up knees, and he was in his school uniform. "Um, Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun and I are going to school now. Aren't you going to walk with us?" Kyo shifted in his spot on the bed and planted his feet on the floor. He rose up from the bed, grabbed his backpack from off the floor by the end of his bed, and brushed passed Tohru. When he was at the stairs she heard him say, "Let's go," before he went down the stairs.

The walk to school only enclosed conversation from Yuki and Tohru. Yuki talked about how he was doing on the student council, and Tohru listened cheerfully, adding a comment every once in a while on how she thought Yuki was a great student body president. Kyo didn't say anything, and only looked down at his feet for the whole walk. Tohru knew she had made him uncomfortable earlier that morning, and she wanted to have the chance to talk to him about it either in school or later that evening at home. She had made the decision in advance that she would visit her grandfather on the upcoming Sunday, due to having to work every night during the week.

School went by slow, for Tohru was anxious to get home to talk to Kyo. Saki of course sensed that something was wrong, but Tohru insisted that there wasn't.

"Tohru-kun, your waves seem to be troublesome today. Is something the matter?" Arisa also added, "Yeah, you look pretty worried about something. Are the Prince and Orangey bugging you?" Tohru shook her head. "No! Don't worry…Nothing's wrong! I was just…Thinking!" Arisa shrugged, still unconvinced, and Saki just nodded as if Tohru were an experiment she was studying. As for Kyo, he avoided Tohru all day. This bothered her, and she felt more uneasy about talking to him, regarding that morning. _Could I be right then? _She thought. _Is Kyo-kun that little boy? If he wasn't, he would be talking to me more, right? Oh, I'm so confused about all of this!_

Yuki stayed after school for a student council meeting that afternoon, leaving Tohru and Kyo to walk home together. As they walked, Tohru could feel the rift in the air growing larger between them. She clutched the handle of her school bag, causing her knuckles to turn white from her grasping grip. Kyo walked ahead of her, but stayed close by and made sure Tohru was still behind him every once in a while. She kept her gaze on her feet, making sure she didn't look up at Kyo.

Tohru found herself bumping into him, for he had stopped dead in his tracks. He held up a hand and covered his face, mumbling things to himself that Tohru couldn't hear. But then she heard something that was addressed to her. "I'm…Sorry," Kyo said blandly. Tohru picked up her head, staring at his back. He continued, his voice beginning to sound hoarse. "I didn't mean to act that way this morning…And…" He paused, and Tohru stepped in front of him to face him, and she could see the nervous look on his face. His eyes were widened like earlier that morning, and his mouth was dropped open. Tohru could tell by the look in his widened eyes that he was searching for the words to say, but couldn't quite find them. "Kyo-kun?" she said, unsure of whether she should have spoken or not. Kyo sighed and nodded, slowly closing his eyes. "You were right. I was that little boy you were talking about. We both knew each other when we were little…I met your mom one day. She was trying to jump…I-I mean, she was sitting by the ocean, and I was sitting there too. Then she looked at me and asked me if I was lost…And she also asked me where my mom was. We started talking…Then she told me about you. Another time when we saw each other she had a picture of you and showed me it. Then she said that I should meet you one day, and I did…Me and you became friends and we would play at your house, in the park, and your mom would take us places.

"Your mom told me a lot about your dad and her relationship with her parents…I thought it was kind of weird that she was telling all of these things to a little boy, but she said she needed someone to talk to. She told me that you didn't have a lot of friends, so when we started playing together she thought that I could maybe help you make some more. Pretty soon, I stopped playing with you, and I stopped talking to your mom. But before I did, I made a promise to her…And I'm sorry…I didn't really keep it."

Tohru stared at Kyo in disbelief and he began walking again. She called out his name, but he didn't respond. He just kept walking, leaving Tohru to ponder what he said while she stood there in surprise. She watched as he disappeared behind the trees in the forest that led to Shigure's house. There was a bench beside the sidewalk, so Tohru sat down and placed her bag next to her. She sat her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her open hands. "So, he was that little boy," she said quietly to herself. She replayed all of what he said to her, but then grew puzzled over him keeping a promise to her. What kind of promise would he have possibly made with her mother? Was it about her? None of that made sense to Tohru. "Okay, I knew Kyo when I was little…But does that mean I knew more Sohma's? Did I know Yuki-kun? And Kyo-kun said that mom told him about my father…That means he'll be able to tell me things about him! I better go home right away so I have time to make dinner, do my homework, and talk to Kyo-kun before I go to work!" She got up and hurried through the forest. She managed to trip over a few rocks, and she lost her balance by stepping into some holes, adding new scars and patches of dirt onto her legs.

When she got home, Tohru found Kyo nowhere downstairs. She figured he had gone up to his room, or the roof, to avoid her for the rest of the night like he did that morning. While doing her homework in her own bedroom, Tohru lacked concentration. She kept coming up with new questions to ask Kyo about her father. She found herself actually writing them out as answers to some of her arithmetic problems. For the problems that utterly confused her, she left for Yuki to help her with once he got home from the student council meeting. Tohru cleaned the kitchen once she got downstairs, and found it to be completely deserted. She took a guess that Shigure was in his office (one again), and Kyo-kun upstairs somewhere. After forty-five minutes or so of cleaning, Yuki arrived home from school in a rather tense matter.

"Welcome home Yuki-kun!" Tohru greeted him once he walked into the house. "How was the student council meeting?" Yuki groaned to himself while he took off his coat and put down his school bag. "It was…Frustrating. All Kakeru did was joke around, Toudou-san kept staring at me, and Naoto kept bossing everyone around. I hope I can at least have a nice night." He sighed. Tohru tightened her grip on the broom she was holding, and reassured Yuki that if he quickly did his homework and then took a warm bath, he would have a nice evening. Yuki liked that idea and headed upstairs to start his homework when Tohru bashfully asked him if he could help her with hers also. He gladly accepted and helped her with the few problems she was confused about. Then Tohru left him to do his own homework by himself, and she made dinner. An hour had passed when Kyo finally appeared, and it turned out he was on the roof.

"Ah, Kyo-kun! Will you be joining us for dinner?" Tohru asked while chopping vegetables. Kyo nodded and yawned while rubbing his eyes. "Yeah…I guess…" Tohru noticed his sluggish attitude and suggested he lay down a bit before dinner. "Nah…I fell asleep on the roof before. Damn those shingles…" He rubbed on his back as he headed off to the bathroom. Tohru finished up making dinner and served it right before she went to work. Work seemed like days for Tohru; she wanted to get home she could ask Kyo the questions she came up with about her father. While she mopped the marble floor of the Sohma building, the older employees there complimented on how she did a wonderful job everyday, like usual. Finally, eight o'clock came, Yuki picked her up, and they walked home in silence, for Yuki was too tired for words.

At home, Tohru sat up in her room. She remembered that she hadn't gone to her grandfather's yet. "Oh, I completely forgot!" she shrieked to herself. "But now that you mention it, I _can_ ask Kyo-kun all the things I need to know. He did say that mom told him a lot about my father." Her mind shifted to Kyo, and that instant she got up and walked out of her room and headed to his. She knocked on the door and waited for him to invite her in. Instead, he came to the door. It was slightly ajar, so all Tohru could see of his face was one amber colored eye, half of his nose, and half of his mouth. "You wanna talk, right?" he said lowly when he appeared at the door. Tohru nodded and grinned. "If you don't mind! If you don't want to, I understand! I just have so many questions on my mind…" Without any word, he opened the door and stepped to the side so she could walk in. He closed the door behind him and told her she could sit down. Tohru sat down on the floor, leaning on her knees because she was wearing a skirt. Kyo sat on the floor as well, and crossed his legs Indian-style.

"Well, what do you wanna ask me?" Kyo inquired after a little bit of silence. Tohru shifted as her shoulders slumped. "I'd like to know about my father. My mom told you about him right?" Kyo put his head down and nodded. It was pretty hard telling Tohru all of this. He knew he was giving in too easy, but since she was asking, he couldn't help himself. And it was so hard for him to say 'no' to her…

Kyo thought for a minute, and tried to remember what Kyoko had told him about Katsuya when he was younger. There was how the two had met, how Katsuya had helped Kyoko when she was in school, how they fell in love, when they had Tohru, how Katsuya passed away, how Kyoko mourned over him…Kyo didn't know where to start. He took a deep sigh and decided to start from the beginning. "Okay," he said, picking his head up. "I'm going to tell you how your parents met, and then I guess I'll go on from there." Tohru nodded. "Thank you so much Kyo-kun! I don't know how to repay you!" He shook his head. "Wait for me to start…Jeez." With one final thought, he began.

"Your mom and dad met in school. Your dad was your one of your mom's teachers, and she didn't really like him at first. She said that after he took her out for lunch one day, they began to see each other more. Then your mom said she began to fall in love with him, but was scared to tell him because she felt that she wasn't feminine enough. Your dad still wanted to see her, and her gang wasn't so happy about it. They beat her up so much that she had to be hospitalized—" Tears began to run down Tohru's face, but Kyo hadn't noticed because he had turned and faced the wall, his back to her. "—then your mom's parents disowned her because they were really unhappy with her. They pretty much didn't care for her anymore, so you dad took her out of the hospital. Your dad proposed to your mom soon, and they got married.

"Your dad's relatives weren't too thrilled with the fact that your dad was marrying your mom…His father, your grandfather, didn't really seem to have a problem with it though. Then your parents lived happily together, and your mom became pregnant. She honestly didn't want to have a baby because she felt that she wouldn't be able to raise one, but you dad said that he'd help her in any way possible. Once you were born, your grandpa told your mom that she was probably the best thing that ever happened to your dad. He said that your dad never showed that kind of affection to anyone before…Your mom didn't really believe him. She didn't think she would be able to change anyone like that.

"One night, your dad had to work late at night at his job, and your mom began to suspect something…She then got a call saying that your dad died while working because it had a cold, and it turned fatal. She was pretty upset about it for a while, but then she figured that she had to get herself together and take care of you." Kyo took one breath, indicating that he was finished. Tohru held back the tears that formed in her eyes. She wanted to hug Kyo so much, as a thank you for telling her all about her father, and some things about her mother that she didn't even now until then. She got up, wiped her eyes with the bottom of her shirt, and knelt by Kyo. She planted a kiss on his cheek and got up, exiting the room. Kyo's eyes widened as he brought up one of his hands to the part of his cheek she had kissed. His face turned more crimson than a rose as he stared at the wall. Tohru still stood in the doorway. "Thank you…Kyo-kun…This has made me so happy! I'm so glad I can know some new things about my father! I don't know how I can repay you!" She then headed back to her room. Once she was out of earshot, Kyo whispered, "You just did."

In Tohru's room, she got ready for bed, then she went to the bathroom to freshen up for the night. She went downstairs to say good night to Yuki and Shigure, and then retired to her bedroom. Tohru climbed into bed and took a good look of the moon that shined in the midnight black sky outside her window. "Mom," she said. "I'm so happy I got to learn more about you and Dad. I didn't know that Kyo-kun knew us when he was little. I can't help but think that maybe we knew more Sohma's…Please, if we did, help me remember…But I want to thank you for being such a wonderful mother, and thank you so much for raising me like her did when dad passed away. I don't think I could have asked for a better mother." Before Tohru knew, her eyelids connected, and she fell into a deep sleep.

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Now, how was that? I hope you all liked it! I enjoy writing this story so much…I was so happy when the idea popped into my head! I will have the next chapter up by Thursday. I'm sorry it took me about a week to update…I get distracted a lot when I write!

-September Whisper


	3. Thinking It Over

Yay! I'm updating a day earlier than I said I would! Thank you empty pagesxo and dreamcloud516 for being the only ones who reviewed my second chapter! Ahh…I hope I get more feedback this time. Please enjoy this chapter, and please review! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fruits Basket, nor do I have any association with Natsuki Takaya, Hakusensha publishers, Hana to Yume Magazine, or TOKYOPOP (I wish I did!).

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**Chapter Three: Thinking It Over**

For the next few days, nothing new came up in Tohru's mind. She went about her daily routine, and so did Kyo. He, nor Tohru, did not mention anything of Tohru's new discoveries to Yuki and Shigure, for fear of getting the whole family involved. The two hadn't brought up the matter to each other for these passing days, but they still kept it in their heads. Tohru felt little pinches of guilt and shame inside her for keeping a secret from the other members of the house, but to avoid starting commotion, she kept quiet. Kyo didn't seem to mind; it was good to know something that was only between him and Tohru. Once in a while, Tohru would periodically whisper thank you's to Kyo for helping her on the road to remembering her past. Even though she now knew about her father, Tohru felt that there were still so many things that she hadn't uncovered yet. And she was determined to find out.

Sometimes Tohru would think hard. She would look deep inside her mind for _anything _that could help her recall some of her childhood. She often got nothing, but once in a while she would hear children's voices…Voices that were new to her. Now she was getting somewhere! Maybe she had a lot more friends than she thought when she was younger. Hopefully, she would regain the memory and remember. But the thing that she questioned over and over again was: _How?_ How, all of the sudden, did she begin to remember these sorts of things? Why did they start coming up now, and how come she didn't remember them before? That was yet another thing she wanted, and needed, to find out.

It was now Friday, two more days before Tohru would have a full day to ponder this all. Friday morning flew by without incident, and school was the same as always. Arisa and Saki invited her to go shopping with them once school dismissed, but Tohru politely declined and said she needed to work. Arisa and Saki both understood.

Now Tohru was home, doing her left over work from school. She had no trouble with it tonight, and she finished it right away. Then it was time for cleaning…Cleaning Shigure's room to be exact. Earlier in the morning Shigure had requested for Tohru to clean his bedroom before she did all of the household chores later in the evening.

"Sure I can!" Tohru chimed in response. Yuki and Kyo could only comment by sending Shigure deadly looks of anger. "Who the hell would wanna clean _your_ room?" Kyo said, shoving rice into his mouth. "It's disgusting in there…It makes the city dump look clean." Yuki nodded. "For once, I agree with you, stupid cat." Kyo tightened his grip on the chopsticks he held in his hand. "Don't call me stupid!" Shigure waved his arms and began to cry to Tohru, playfully of course. "Tohru-kun! Don't listen to them! Clean my room! Please!?" Tohru happily nodded and began to clean the table. "She doesn't understand," Yuki muttered to Kyo. "She's just like that…If someone asks her to do something for them, she'll do it without question." Kyo got up and headed out of the kitchen. "You don't need to tell me that," he spat out. "I already know."

Tohru now stood before the door of Shigure's bedroom. She slipped on some yellow rubber gloves, had a trashcan by her side, mop in hand, and was ready to clean. _This could be more worse than cleaning the kitchen when I first came here_, Tohru thought. _But I have to do this for Shigure-san! He has so much to do with writing his novels, and Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun shouldn't be bothered with something that I'm supposed to do anyway! I'll make the best of it and make like I'm just warming up for work!_ She picked up the trashcan with the mop still in her hand and push opened the door to Shigure's bedroom. Tohru scanned it from wall to wall…It was worse than she thought. Piles and piles of paper balls mounted in the center of the floor, and clothes were everywhere. Kimonos, suits, you name it. Tohru couldn't even find his bed. On his computer desk there were bags of gummies, stains from who _knows_ what, a myriad of pens and pencils, a keyboard, and a monitor whose screen was foggier than a window in an old deserted house. Tohru didn't know how Shigure could sleep in this room, but she was going to make sure he didn't have to anymore. First, she needed to open a window because it was extremely stuffy in there. "Let's see if I can find the window first," she said to herself in a nervous tone. After searching the left wall, Tohru finally found the window behind a pile of kimonos. She decreased the size of the heap by gently taking off each kimono one by one, folding them before she placed them by her side. She could at least organize some of his clothing while trying to open the window, right? Once Tohru had opened the window after a few minutes of budging it, and felt the sweet ecstasy of the early evening breeze cascade her face, she was ready to clean Shigure's room. But the question was: where to start? Tohru decided to let her instinct decide for her.

She found herself walking over to the computer to throw out the bag of gummies that now looked stale and hard. She picked up the trash can and dropped each bag of candy in it, then focused her attention on sorting out the writing utensils. She searched the drawers of Shigure's desk and found a little box to put them all in. She then set that to the side and cleared off all the papers. Tohru didn't want to be nosy, nor did she want to throw out anything important, so she kept all of the neat papers and threw out the crumpled and ripped ones. The desk now began to look a little less uncluttered, but Tohru still needed to wipe it down, along with the monitor. Since she was going to save all of the scrubbing for later on, she then began to organize the drawers of the desk. "I hope this isn't invading Shigure-san's privacy," Tohru murmured to herself while throwing out all of the unnecessary things she found. "He _did_ ask me to clean his room, but I still feel like I'm intruding on something." She thought of what Kyo or Yuki would say if she told them that, and Shigure too, so she quietly chuckled and continued what she was doing.

Now that the desk was neat and tidy, Tohru concentrated on clearing the floor and finding Shigure's bed. She brought over her trashcan to the center of the room and began to throw the paper balls in the wastebasket left and right. Several times she had to go out to the kitchen and empty the can because the paper began to overflow. Tohru had met up with Yuki in the kitchen, and he offered to help, but Tohru insisted that this was her job and that he should do his homework and do his own things. She also said that she didn't want to be a bother. Tohru had to empty the trash can in the kitchen a few times before the floor was finally cleared. Finally, she could see Shigure's bed! "Oh, his mattress is all lumpy! Shigure-san can't sleep on this! His back will begin to hurt!" She hurried out to Shigure's office and knocked on the door. "Shigure-san!" Tohru called from outside as she knocked. She heard Shigure get up and walk to the door. He opened it, and beamed when he saw Tohru standing there with yellow rubber gloves on, her head wrapped in a bandana, and a look of worry on her face. "Ah, Tohru-kun! My little housewife! Come in!" He moved to the side so she could walk into the room. She was surprised, and relieved, to see that the office was neat and tidy. Shigure sat down in his black leather chair and smiled sweetly at Tohru. "Having fun cleaning my room?" Tohru giggled and nodded. "Yes, it's very fun! I'm not having any trouble at all! Please don't think I'm being rude though, but I'm concerned about your mattress, Shigure-san. It's all lumpy, and I'm afraid you'll hurt your back on it! Please, I insist, sleep in my bed until you get a new one, and I'll sleep down here on a futon. I don't mind at all!" Shigure chuckled and patted Tohru gently on the head. "Ah, sweet, sweet, Tohru-kun. I'm already jealous of the man you're going to choose as your husband one day! I'm sure you'll treat him just like a king! How lucky Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun are, two of the fortunate candidates that can possibly become Tohru-kun's husband!" Tohru's mouth dropped open and she flailed her hands in front of her face, blushing like mad. "Oh, no! I mean, it's not that…I mean…Eh, Shigure-san…Um…Would you like to sleep in my bed?" Shigure shook his head and got up from his chair, escorting Tohru towards the door. "Don't worry about me. You just be a good girl, like you already are, and finish cleaning my room. I appreciate your offer very much, but I know that Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun will kill me if they find you sleeping down here on a futon!" He opened the door and lead Tohru into the hall. "Now, you just continue what you were doing and run along. I'm looking forward to a wonderful dinner tonight!" Then he shut the door, leaving Tohru out in the corridor. She sighed and walked back to Shigure's room to proceed with her cleaning.

Once she had finished clearing the floor, putting fresh new sheets on the bed, wiping down everything, and organizing all of his things, cleaning Shigure's room was finally complete. Tohru looked around the room and watched the floor sparkle before her, and she immediately felt satisfied and glad with her work. Now, she had to quickly make dinner because she had to leave for work in an hour and a half. She changed out of her cleaning clothes and put on her navy blue long-sleeved dress, which stopped about eight inches past her waistline. Tohru headed downstairs and made dinner for Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure, and they all ate it happily together. Next, Tohru had to leave for work for the rest of the night.

That night at work, Tohru had some assistance from Momiji. He playfully jumped around and helped Tohru mop the floor, clean the windows, and throw things out. The two laughed cheerfully together as they scrubbed the large clear windows that overlooked the bright city of Tokyo. Tohru and Momiji had fun pointing out all of the nicest and most fluorescent lights they could find, Momiji spotting most of them. Whenever Momiji helped Tohru while she worked, the time flew by extremely quickly. Three hours seemed like three minutes, and before she knew it, Tohru was walking home with Yuki, for Momiji had left a half hour earlier. When they got home, Tohru offered to make a cup of tea for Yuki, and he warmly accepted. For the remainder of the hour, Tohru and Yuki sat at the table and talked about miscellaneous topics.

"You know, we can start to pick strawberries for you soon," Yuki said as he sipped his tea. Tohru's face lit up as she clapped her hands together, uttering a small squeal. "Oh, I can't wait! I've been looking forward to that all winter! Yay!" Tohru clapped some more and Yuki smiled sincerely at the sight of her happiness. "I'm glad you are. I know how much you like strawberries, so I've been looking forward to it too." He lightly bowed his head, hiding his slightly pink face. Tohru giggled and smiled. "I can't wait…I would love to have some strawberries just about now!" She licked her top lip and closed her eyes, imagining the taste of strawberries lingering through her mouth at that moment. "Mmm..." She hummed to herself. "They taste so good!" Yuki laughed and brushed back some hair from the front of his face. "So, have you gotten together with Uotani-san and Hanajima-san lately? I know I haven't been around much because of student council meetings, but have they come over recently?" Shaking her head, Tohru took a sip of tea from the cup that was held in her hands. "No…Not lately," she said with a tone of disappointment in her voice. "They have asked me so many times to go shopping, or to go over one of their houses, but I've just been so busy. I feel so bad whenever I have to decline, but they just smile and say that they understand. I feel so awful about it!" As Tohru went on about how she felt bad, a thought popped up in Yuki's mind. He considered it, and knew that Tohru deserved a day to herself. "Honda-san," he said, politely interrupting. "Why don't you get together with Uotani-san and Hanajima-san on Sunday? You deserve a day off…Even more than one. You don't even have to check with Shigure. I'll ask for you." Tohru felt a grin smear across her face, but knew right away that she couldn't possibly abandon Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure on Sunday so she could be out with friends. Maybe they would be able to come there instead?

"Oh, I can't leave you, Kyo-kun, and Shigure-san home by yourselves! What if you need something? It's my duty to make sure we have everything we need! How about they come here instead? That way, if you three need anything, Uo-chan, Hana-chan, and I can go out to the store and buy it!" Yuki chuckling and shook his head, patting Tohru's hand that lay on the table. "Honda-san, we want to see you having a good time. We'll have everything under control. If we need any cooking, Kyo can make food for him and Shigure, and I'll buy take-out. As for the groceries, you can leave that to us." Tohru bit her bottom lip and looked around, as if the words she wanted to say were somewhere on the walls. "A-Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like I'm deserting you all!" Yuki smiled and shook his head slowly. Tohru returned his smile and nodded happily. "Okay then! Since I was going to visit grandpa on Sunday, I might as well have Uo-chan and Hana-chan come! Oh, this'll be fun!" Her head then turned to the clock and she got up and politely bowed to Yuki. "I have to get to bed!" she said. "Good night, Yuki-kun, and thank you so much! I'm looking forward to Sunday! I'll ask them tomorrow at school!" You bade her good night as well and watched her walk upstairs. He sighed and smiled, glad to make her happy.

The next day at school, Tohru invited Arisa and Saki to spend the day with her at her grandfather's. Being that they haven't gotten together in a while, Arisa and Saki accepted the invitation with open arms. They planned to go to Tohru's grandfather for two o'clock in the afternoon, after having lunch made by Tohru at Shigure's house first. Tohru thought that maybe—just _maybe_—she would tell them about her discussion with Kyo. It didn't involve the Sohma's curse, right? Then she would be free to tell them. But some thing held her back…She had to ask Kyo first.

Later on that night, Tohru got to talk to Kyo alone in the television room while Yuki was doing his homework, and Shigure was in his office.

"Kyo-kun?" she said as she walked into the room, dragging Kyo's attention away from the television. He turned and saw her, grabbed the remote from off the table, and shut it off. "Hey," he said as he folded his arms over his chest. Tohru smiled and sat down beside him. "Hi!" She now felt uncomfortable because she already knew that Kyo wanted to keep this between themselves, but Tohru wanted to see if he would let her tell Arisa and Saki. "Um, about what you told me a few days ago…I know you wanted to keep that just between us, but—"

"If you're thinking about telling that damn rat, you can forget it," Kyo demanded as he faced his back toward her. "He doesn't need to know _all_ of your business." Tohru tucked a lock of brown hair behind one of her ears and twiddled her thumbs…This might be harder than she thought.

"Um, no, I wasn't going to ask if I could tell Yuki-kun," she took a deep breath. "I was wondering if maybe I could tell Uo-chan and Hana-chan. They're coming with me to my grandpa's house tomorrow, and I'm going to ask him more about my dad, so I was just wondering if I could tell them…If you don't want me to, I understand." She closed her eyes tightly and waited for him to yell something at her, but he never did. Instead, she heard him sigh in annoyance, yet also defeat, as he turned around to face her. "Why do you wanna tell them?"

She shrugged. "Oh, well, I don't know. Since they're my best friends, I guess I feel that they should know."

"What are you going to tell them exactly?"

"Well, um, I know Uo-chan would love hearing how my parents met! Hana-chan will probably enjoy it all…I guess I would tell them how my parents met, how they fell in love, what happened when they had me, how my dad passed away, and how Mom went through it all alone…"

"And what if they ask you where you got this all from?"

Tohru looked at him, perplexed. She hadn't thought about that. "I guess…Eh, what do you think I should tell them? I mean, if I do tell them, what should I say if they question it?" Kyo shrugged and drank from the carton of milk that seemed to magically appear in his hand. Tohru took a guess that he had it next to him the whole time and she didn't notice. "Just as long as you don't mention me, you can tell them anything," Kyo told her. "Make something up…Like, say your grandpa told you about it all." Tohru thought the idea was clever, but she didn't want to be dishonest with her friends. "But, my grandpa didn't tell me! What if he says something?"

"Then say it to them when he isn't around."

Tohru bit her lip again and tugged on the hem of her skirt. "I don't know…" Kyo sighed impatiently and got up, picking up the blanket he was sitting on, along with the carton of milk. "Look," he said. "If you want to tell them, okay, it's your business. But could you try not to tell them I told it to you? I don't want them bugging the crap outta me at school, you know?" Tohru laughed, because it was the truth. She knew that if Arisa and Saki were told that Kyo knew Kyoko and that he was friends with Tohru when they were little, he would be questioned left and right. Seeing Tohru giggle made Kyo grin, but only when he had turned and started for the kitchen.

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru called. Kyo turned around, his eyebrow raised. "Yeah?" Tohru stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "So, I can tell them?" She asked while clasping her hands together underneath her chin. For some reason, Kyo's face heated up, and he turned around and stomped into the kitchen. "Yeah, do whatever you want!" He hollered. Tohru barely jumped up and took a deep breath. "Thank you Kyo-kun," she whispered with a serene smile glued to her face. "You've helped me a lot these pass few days." With that, Tohru went up to her room to get ready for the next day, Sunday, which was the day she would be going to her grandfather's with Arisa and Saki.

The next morning, Tohru woke to see that it was raining outside. She got out of bed, dressed herself, and went downstairs to find Kyo groggily standing before the open refrigerator. He was mumbling something to himself, something that Tohru couldn't understand. He then slammed the door shut and shuffled passed Tohru, faltering, "Oy," before he walked out. Tohru wanted to ask him if he was feeling okay, but then remembered that rainy days make him extremely tired. She decided to start breakfast instead of worrying about it.

At twelve-thirty Arisa and Saki arrived. Shigure invited them in and motioned for them to go in the kitchen, for Tohru was working on preparing lunch for everyone. "Hey Tohru," Arisa said as she walked into the kitchen with Saki behind her. Beaming, Tohru turned around and hurried over to the two girls. "Uo-chan! Hana-chan! I'm so glad you could come! Did you get here okay? Please, make yourselves at home! I'm just about finished with making lunch!" Arisa and Saki smiled and settled themselves at the table while Tohru hurried to conclude making lunch. "Tohru-kun," Saki said. "Would you like some help?" Tohru shook her head and took some vegetables out of the refrigerator. "No, that's okay! I'm almost done anyway." Saki slowly nodded and left Tohru alone to finish. In moments to come, lunch was ready and on the table. Tohru called down Kyo and Yuki from upstairs, and Shigure came from his office. Yuki said hello to Arisa and Saki, but Kyo didn't say hello because he wasn't even aware of their presence at the table. Lunch went by smoothly, with many conversations about everyone's plans for the day, the weather, and about the upcoming new school year. Once lunch was finished, Arisa and Saki helped Tohru clean off the table, and then they headed off my Tohru's grandfather's house at one-thirty.

The walk to the house was cheerful and fun, for the rain had stopped while they were all eating lunch. Arisa cracked a few jokes here and there, Saki scared off some boys that wanted to make trouble with them, and the three girls talked about how nice the newly bloomed flowers looked. The walk took about twenty minutes, so they got there just in time. Tohru's aunt answered the door, and let Tohru, Arisa, and Saki inside, grimacing after Saki gave her a strange look. "The waves in this house don't seem very pleasant," she muttered to no one in particular. Tohru's aunt nervously walked them to the sitting room and invited them to sit down. "Eh, grandpa will be here in a minute," she told them. "I have to find him…" She exited the room and left Tohru, Arisa, and Saki alone to talk. _Should I tell them now?_ Tohru asked herself, regarding telling her friends about her parents. Just as she opened her mouth, Tohru's grandfather shuffled into the room. Tohru jumped up. "Grandpa!" She ran over to him and gave him a warm, gentle hug. "I haven't seen you in a while! How are you doing?" Tohru's grandfather smiled, patting her on the back. "It's nice to see you too, Kyoko-san."

"I'm Tohru, grandpa."

"Right, Kyoko-san. Now you sit down with your friends and introduce me to them. "

Arisa laughed as Tohru sat down between her and Saki. "This is Arisa Uotani," Tohru said as her turned her head to Arisa. Arisa waved, and then Tohru turned her head to Saki. "And this is Saki Hanajima!" Saki quietly said, "Hello," before Tohru chimed, "They're my best friends!" Her grandfather smiled. "It's nice to meet you two." Arisa tilted up her chin quickly. "You too. Tohru's told us a lot about you." Saki nodded in agreement. "I'm sure I have heard a lot of you two also," Tohru's grandfather said in response. He got up and began to exit the room. "Eh, excuse me, grandpa?" Tohru asked as she got up and followed him to the doorway. "Um, where are you going?" He started down the hallway and turned around. "I'm going to look for Tohru-san, she should be making me lunch by now…" Then he turned around and walked away. Tohru stood there in confusion. "But…Aren't I Tohru…?" Arisa laughed again and patted the space next to her on the couch. "Come on Tohru," she said. "Us three haven't talked together in a while. Let's catch up." Saki stared into space and slowly nodded. "Yes, let's…" Tohru smiled nervously as she made her way to the couch. _This is my chance…_

"Uo-chan, Hana-chan, are you two interested in hearing about my parents? I…Grandpa told me about them once…But, um, I don't think he remembers telling me…"

"Kyoko-san and your…father? You actually found out something about him?" Arisa questioned, her eyes wide. "Well, come on! I'd like to hear about this man that Kyoko-san married! From what she used to tell us, it sounded as if he was the greatest man in the world!" Saki seemed concerned too, for she had turned her head towards Tohru and tuned out of her 'trance.'

"Well, I only know a little bit," Tohru began. "Just how they met, what they did when they had me, how my dad died…" Arisa shrugged. "Good enough for me!" Saki smiled. "Please, Tohru-kun, tell us. I would like to hear about Kyoko-san too." So Tohru told them. She told them how her father was a teacher, and Kyoko being one of his students. Arisa thought it was one of the most romantic things she had ever heard, a teacher and a student falling in love with each other. Tohru told them about Kyoko being beat up by her gang, Katsuya taking her out of the hospital, and them getting married. Arisa and Saki seemed to like that part. Then there was how Tohru was born, and then how Katsuya passed away. Once she was finished, the three were silent for a few minutes. A silent that wasn't comforting, yet wasn't aggravating.

"So…Your dad just went? Like that?" Arisa asked. She sounded annoyed. Tohru slowly nodded and Saki shook her head. "Poor Kyoko-san…Being left like that to raise a small little child, and with no experience." She looked up at Tohru and smiled. "But she did a very good job." Tohru mirrored her smile, and was glad that everything turned out well. She had been nervous about accidentally slipping out the truth that Kyo had told her all this, and not her grandfather. Arisa sighed and rested her elbow on the back of the couch, leaning her head in the palm of her hand. "How did Kyoko-san take it? I mean, it must've been pretty rough, right? She seemed so in love with your dad…It was probably devastating to lose someone that she loved so much…" Then she looked at Tohru and patted her on the shoulder. "But then again, why am I asking? You already know, unfortunately…" Tohru grinned and sighed. "I don't know. I don't think grandpa told me how she took it."

"_She was pretty upset about it for a while, but then she figured that she had to get herself together and take care of you."_

"Oh, wait, that's right," Tohru told herself. "I just, um, remembered! Grandpa said that Mom was upset about it for a while. Then she told herself that she had a little girl to take care of, so she stayed strong for me…And…She grew me up…With a smile on her face…Everyday…" Tohru felt her smile turning into a soft frown. How could she have not noticed her mother's pain when she was younger? How could she have not seen it? Tears began to leak from her eyes and she quickly covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly. "Tohru?!" Arisa shouted. "What's the matter?" Saki put her hand on Tohru's back, patting it softly. "Tohru-kun, calm down…Your waves are shaky. I sense your pain…Please, tell us…" Tohru brought her hands down and looked at each girl. She covered her face again and shook her head. "Oh, Uo-chan, Hana-chan…I feel so awful!" Arisa straightened her shoulders, holding back her own tears from seeing Tohru cry. "But why? You don't like talking about it, do you? Oh gosh, Hanajima, what did we do?"

"No! It's not that! It's just that…I didn't even notice how hard it was for Mom. She was always happy, and I didn't even know what happened to my dad. I feel so bad!" Saki quietly hushed her, draping her long black braid over her shoulder. "Tohru-kun," she said gently. "Do you think Kyoko-san would be happy right now if she saw you crying like this? I think it was very responsible of her not to drown her own daughter with her troubles. She didn't act emotional about your father around you because she didn't want you to see her in distress. You were supposed to look up to her, and she wanted you to be happy…Not worrying about her dilemmas. And you _were_ happy. There's nothing to cry about." Tohru looked up at Saki, and then at Arisa. Right then and there, she couldn't have asked for two better friends. She took their hands in hers and squeezed them. "I love you both so much," she said with a sniff. Arisa sniffed as well, and pressed herself against the back of the couch. "We love you too, Tohru. You know we'll always be here for you." Saki nodded. "Yes, don't worry…We'll be here for you, just like you've been for us."

The rest of their visit with Tohru's grandfather was fun for the girls. They went to the grocery store for Tohru's aunt, and helped out her grandfather around the house. Tohru felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt so relived that she told Arisa and Saki about her parents…They had helped her a great deal. But Tohru couldn't help but wonder how hard it really was for Kyoko. Would she cry in her bedroom at night after Tohru went to sleep? How had she felt when they went to visit his grave at the temple every Sunday? Tohru wish she knew. She wished her mother shared her problems with her, just as Kyo and Yuki do now with her. _Mom is very strong,_ she thought to herself. _And I want to be just like her._

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Did you like it? I thought this was an interesting chapter. I like what Saki said about how it was responsible of Kyoko not to share her troubles with Tohru. I thought she would say something like that! This chapter was more like one of those kinds of chapters that are just thrown there for fun and seem like they have no meaning, but it isn't! I also had to give Tohru a little break from remembering everything. Next time, there will be more realizations! Thank you once again for reading this time, and I'll have the next chapter up next week!

-September Whisper


	4. Explanations

Four chapters! Thank you to the people who read and/or reviewed the third one! I really appreciate it! I would like to thank LilyEvansPotter4456, and FearlessDranzer, for reading parts of this story for me before it's published. You two are the greatest! There is one little spoiler in this chapter, regarding chapters ninety-six and ninety-seven. If you don't point it out, that's great! It's very hard to find, but for those who have read those two chapters, you'll understand! Okay, now time for the chapter to begin! It's a little short, but I kind of rushed it. Please read and review! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fruits Basket, nor do I have any association with Natsuki Takaya, Hakusensha publishers, Hana to Yume Magazine, or TOKYOPOP (I wish I did!). I do own the nurse in this chapter though!

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**Chapter Four: Explanations**

_There were a number of children running playfully about a small wooded area. All the children wore casual clothing; the boys sporting T-shirts and shorts, and the girls with dresses and skirts. All but one small boy, who was wearing a traditional kimono. The children laughed and shrieked as they all chased each other around trees and bushes. The one boy with the kimono seemed to be enjoying himself the most, for he usually didn't get out much. He ran and played tag with the children, sticking around one girl in particular._

_This girl had thin brown hair that was both short and silky. Her face lit up whenever she smiled, and she was the kindest girl of them all. She had been very nice to the young boy, causing him to feel a warm spot in his stomach when he was around her. Of course, the little girl began to feel the same. During the game of tag, the little boy and girl found themselves alone behind some bushes. They both sat side by side, their backs against the hedges, getting acquainted with one another. They talked and laughed, suddenly feeling a quick bond of friendship beginning to bind them. Once they heard the voices of the other children, they both got up and began to brush themselves off and made sure they were each free of dirt and grass stains. As the boy began to make his way around the bushes, they little girl politely stopped him. "I really like you," she told him in her sweetened, innocent voice. "I'm happy we can become friends!" She made a step towards the boy, quickly wrapping her arms around him in a friendly embrace. "Ah!" the little boy yelped as he fell to the ground. Now, he wasn't a little boy._

_When the girl had hugged the boy, there was a loud 'POOF', followed by a cloud of puffy grey smoke. As the smoke vanished, a small little white rat appeared instead of the little boy in the kimono. The young girl stood there, her eyes large and surprised. She opened her mouth to scream, but fortunately for the boy, nothing came out. The other kids came running over since they heard the small explosion and saw the smoke. They had all emitting screams and yelps, the girls shouting, "It's a rat! It's a rat! Ew!!!" The rat was trembling with fear, and was sitting in a pile of clothing. The children had noticed that the clothing belonged to the little boy that the girl had hugged. They had all last saw the two together, and in the midst of their panic, they managed to ask her where the little boy had gone. Still in shock, she lifted a shaking finger and pointed it at the rat. "I-It's him! Yuki-kun turned into a rat when I hugged him!" This was all impossible to the children. They all had found it disgusting, and weird, that a boy could turn into a rat if he was hugged. All but the young girl who hugged him in the first place, she felt tears trickle down her face from sympathy. She felt bad for the boy, whom she had addressed as Yuki. _

_As the children still shouted, a tall man came over. His face was emotionless, yet looked stern. Without a word, he guided the children out of the wooded area and away from the rat. There, the children were all united with their parents. They still began to holler and cry about the events that had occurred back in the forest. In moments to come, the man had come out of the woods with the little boy, now dressed and not a rat anymore, clinging to his pants. The man bent down and whispered something in Yuki's ear. Yuki ran from the group of children and their parents, and headed to a car. He opened the door and scurried inside, wiping his eyes in the process. As he did this, the children watched as the man talked to their parents, excluding the children out of the conversation. The man looked quite angry, as if something that other people weren't supposed to know about had just took place. The adults quietly gasped here and there, mothers shaking their heads in non-belief. One mother began to sob as she looked over at her son. The other parents had turned their heads to face their own children. The little girl who had hugged the boy ran to her mother. Her mother kneeled down and took her daughter in a warm embrace, stroking her head as she let the girl cry into her shoulder._

_Then there was a large, empty room. The little girl was seated on the floor, silently crying for her mother. She was frightened, for she was in new surroundings that were strange to her. But there was another person in the room. It was the man that had spoken to her mother and the other children's parents. Now, the little girl began to feel safer with the presence of an adult, but cringed in fear when she saw the cold look on his face. Without the girl's notice, the man's expression softened when he saw her crying. She was scared of him, and he was unfortunately aware of it._

"_I'm sorry," he told her softly. "But this has to be done. I know you are still a young child, and you may not understand me, but you have found out a terrible secret when you were playing with Yuki and those other children a few days ago. No one except Yuki's family is supposed to know about what happened…Now, I am going to help you forget what happened. I'm going to place my hand on your forehead and eyes, and you will forget everything that went on. Once again, I am very sorry, Tohru Honda-kun, but I was ordered to do this." He covered Tohru's forehead and eyes with his warm hand, and as she was contemplating what he had told her, her eyes shut and she fell back onto the floor._

Tohru froze and dropped her ink stick as she unconsciously slammed her hands onto her desk. What had just gone through her mind was _definitely_ new to her. "Yuki-kun," she said quietly to herself. Class 2-D was currently taking finals, and now all of their students had their eyes on her. The teacher sat on her desk at the head of the classroom. She got up and began to tap her foot on the floor, crossing her arms over her chest and clearing her throat. "Honda!" she shouted. "You're supposed to be taking a test! If you wanna stay after school and finish it that's more work for me! Now stop stalling and take your test! If you fail, it's not my problem!" Tohru nodded as she felt sweat run down her face. She began to feel dizzy and nauseous, and suddenly couldn't focus on her test. She picked up her ink stick with a trembling hand and began to take her test again. Tohru was lacking concentration so much that she had to reread one word ten times before it programmed through her mind. Her vision was faintly blurred and her throat became parched. She was in no condition to take a test anymore. She got up from her seat and walked down the row to Mayuko's, stumbling once due to her dizziness and nausea.

"Sensei," Tohru quietly moaned to her teacher. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can finish my test...I-I…I feel sick."

"Well," Mayuko said as she looked at Tohru, bothered. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Searching around the classroom, Tohru nervously tried to form words on her tongue. All she could think of was playing with Yuki, hugging him, and then that man…Could he have been...?

"Um, may I please go to the nurse? If it's not too much trouble, I-I need to lay down…I think I might pass out…" Mayuko looked at the pale, grim-like expression on Tohru's face and sighed with frustration. "Fine, Honda, go. Suggesting that we don't have much time left, I'll be seeing you after school. Thanks for wasting my time." Tohru bowed anxiously and headed out of the classroom, but turned to take a glance at Yuki, who was staring at her, and then Kyo, who had his test booklet closed and his chin in his palm, looking in the same direction as Yuki. She gave them both a reassuring smile, then left the classroom. Devoid of noticing, Tohru walked in the opposite direction of the nurse's office. Her destination: anywhere she could think peacefully.

_Yuki-kun has told me about this before_, she thought. _He told me that because of the girl who hugged him, all of his friends had to get their memories erased because they all saw…Was I that girl?_ Tohru couldn't bare that thought. That meant that she had her memories erased when she was younger…Didn't it?

So many questions formed in her head. Did Yuki recognize her as that girl? Who were the other children that were playing there with them? Was that man who suppressed her memories Hatori? And was this even real? Tohru stopped walking and stared at the patterns the colorful hallway patterns made. _Am I just imagining things? Should I question Yuki-kun about it? _But it had to be real. She had called him 'Yuki-kun', and Hatori had addressed her as 'Tohru Honda-kun'. Maybe that's why she had all of the sudden remembered playing with Kyo. Maybe that was why she barely remembered her father. It was all coming together, just like a puzzle: Tohru must have had her memories erased.

Tohru began walking again, along with thinking. _So, I knew Kyo-kun _and _Yuki-kun when I was younger? Did I know more Sohma's then? I also had encountered with Hatori-san…And he knew my name! But how? I must have known some other people in the family then! Did I know Shigure-san? Kagura-san? I'll have to ask them…_Then Akito's face appeared in Tohru's mind. Just thinking about Akito sent a chill down her spine. _And Akito-san…Did she know too?_

All of the ways Tohru could confront the family, without putting them through any discomfort, played throughout her brain. She questioned Kyo so easily, so she figured there would be no problem with asking Yuki. It was just the other family members. "Should I go visit Hatori-san too?" she questioned herself, the tone of her voice no louder than a whisper. Hatori would have some answers that she needed, and so did Yuki. Yuki would be questioned first.

Tohru continued to walk until she reached the nurse's office. She decided to go so she wouldn't be dishonest with her teacher, but also because she _really_ didn't feel good. When she walked into the office, there were two other students ahead of her, both of them being first years. As one of them walked out, Tohru flashed them a bright smile, but didn't receive one back. The next student was there for about five minutes, then left. The nurse then sat down at her desk and began to rummage through some papers, unaware of Tohru's being there in the room. After a few minutes she looked up and smiled, getting up from her chair. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said apologetically as she walked over to Tohru, clipboard at hand. Tohru shook her head and smiled. "It's alright! I wasn't here for long!" The nurse smiled and circled Tohru, scribbling notes onto the clipboard. "Okay, what's the matter dear?" Tohru turned around in a circle as she watched the nurse examine her. She cleared her throat politely and laced her hands together behind her back. "Well, I was taking my finals and then I began to feel very dizzy, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I went up to my sensei's desk as I did, I almost fell a few times began I was too dizzy to walk, and I feel like I'm going to vomit and…Oh! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to complain! I'm so sorry!" The nurse chuckled and pressed the back of her hand against Tohru's forehead. "Hmm…Your head _does_ seem a little warm." She brought her hand down to Tohru's cheek, in order to look at her face. "And you do look pale. Do you know what time the tests are over?" Tohru shook her head. "Alright," the nurse said. "I'll call your house and have your mother pick you up. Does she work during the day?"

Tohru stammered as the nurse walked over to her desk to pick up the phone. "Um, I don't live with my mother, or my father." The nurse looked at her with a bewildered expression. Tohru continued. "I live with Shigure Sohma, who is also the guardian of Yuki and Kyo Sohma. Should I give you that phone number instead?" The nurse nodded and picked up the receiver. "Okay, that number will do. What's your name dear?"

"Tohru Honda."

The nurse nodded once again and listened as Tohru told her Shigure's phone number. She sat down in one of the chairs that were rested against the wall as the nurse talked with Shigure.

"Hello Sohma-san, this is Hotaru Nakamura, the nurse at Kaibara High. I have Tohru Honda here in my office, and she seems to have a little temperature. Her forehead is warm, and her face his pale. She came down here explaining to me how she felt very dizzy in class…Yes…Yes, I know. Finals can be very tedious for some students…" She laughed. "Oh, yes! I know...Uh huh…Okay, thank you very much, Sohma-san. I'll tell her that you'll have someone come and pick her up. Goodbye." Then she hung up. She picked up her clipboard once again and wrote down a few things. She then put it down and sat down in her chair. She pushed back her hair and took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes. "Sohma-san said that he'll have some come to pick you up…He was a very funny man! You must enjoy living with him." Tohru nodded and smiled, and became a little dizzy once again. "Yes! I enjoy living with Shigure-san very much!" The nurse chuckled and put her glasses back on. "Why don't you lay down a little bit before you get picked up? I'll get you a pillow to put on the bed." Tohru got up and bowed, thanking the nurse. Hotaru led her over to the small room within the office that the bed was in. It resembled the kind of bed's they have at psychiatrists' offices. Tohru sat on the bed and swung over her legs after taking off her shoes. The nurse laid a pillow at the head of the bed for Tohru to rest her head on, and left once she helped Tohru get comfortable. Tohru thanked her gratefully and watched her head out.

"_I really like you…I'm happy we can become friends!"_

Tohru rethought of what she had remembered in the classroom. It amazed her that she recalled so many thoughts in so little time. _That's where I might have remembered those voices from a few days ago! _She sighed as she closed her eyes. _When I began to remember playing with Kyo-kun, it didn't even occur to me that I could have had my memories erased! But remembering sitting in a room…And Hatori-san talking to me that way…It must have hurt to erase a little child's memory. Poor…_Then Tohru realized something. Hatori must be the person coming to pick her up. Shigure didn't drive, and Ayame certainly didn't, so that left Hatori. Tohru couldn't decide whether to ask Hatori about it in the car, or wait until another day. If Hatori was by himself, she would consider it, but if he had company, she was going to wait until another day.

As she began to fall sleep, Tohru heard two pairs of footsteps walk into the nurse's office. Along with that, she heard two brawling boys. "Yuki-kun! Kyo-kun!" She got up, swung her legs off the side of the bed, and got up. Tohru stumbled out of the room from dizziness and met up with Kyo and Yuki as they made their way towards the resting room. "Ah, Honda-san," Yuki said. "How are you feeling? You've been down here for a while, and since I was finished, I asked Sensei if I could come down to see you." Kyo then grunted and crossed him arms over his chest, looking away. "And Kyo insisted on coming."

"No I didn't!" Kyo hollered as he balled his hand into a fist. "You dragged me here, you damn rat!" Tohru found some strength to laugh as Kyo calmed down. She flashed them both a smile, telling them that she felt fine and that Shigure was sending someone over to pick her up. Yuki smiled in return, and Kyo sat down in one of the chairs, sighing. "That guy's gotta get a drivers' license soon," he mumbled to himself. Yuki sat down also, and Tohru did as well. "Do you have a temperature?" Yuki asked her. "Um, well," Tohru began. "She said my head was warm…But I can still do housework and cook dinner! I'll get tonight's dinner ingredients on the way home from school!" Yuki and Kyo both shook their heads and shot each other deathly looks. "What did I tell you that _last_ time you got sick?" Kyo said with annoyance. "You have to sleep so you can get better! Never mind about getting tonight's dinner ready," he lowered his tone, "I can…Make you food…If you want…" Kyo's face was now beat red. Tohru beamed and nodded towards him. She loved how he cooked leeks for her the last time she was sick.

"Don't worry Honda-san," Yuki told her. "All you have to do is sleep and you'll be fine."

"I just said that!" Kyo snarled. "Why do you have to go around repeating what I say?"

"I was just making a point, you stupid cat."

"Eh, um, please stop fighting!" Tohru pleaded. "I don't think the nurse will like it…" Yuki nodded and got up. "You're right," he said as he walked toward the door. "Of course, _he_ can't go anywhere without starting a fight with anyone." Kyo began to boil with anger. "I'll see you at home Honda-san. Should I tell Sensei that you're going to have to stay after one day to finish the exam?" Tohru shook her head and went to the door with Yuki. "That's okay! I can tell her on my way out!" Yuki smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you're going to do great. You did really well on the practice questions I gave you, and the ones on the exam are pretty similar." Tohru's face reddened a little bit, and Yuki smiled. "Okay, I'll see you at home. Tell Kyo he has to come back to class eventually, or else he'll get into trouble. I'll see you at home!" And with that, Yuki started down the hallway for class 2-D's classroom. Tohru stretched out her arm and waved at him, then returned to her seat in the office, where Kyo was now calm and free of rage.

Kyo was muttering words to himself, probably about his hatred of Yuki. Tohru sat herself down in the chair next to him and placed her hands in her lap, twining her fingers together. "I saw Yuki-kun turn into a rat when I was younger," she blurted out. Tohru slapped her hands over her mouth as Kyo stared at her with a baffled look. "You saw _what?_" he inquired, looking around the room to make sure the nurse was out of earshot. "Did you just say that you saw Yuki turn into a rat when you were younger?" Tohru squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, biting her lower lip. _Oh, why did I say that? How come it just came out all of a sudden?_ Kyo straightened out his shoulders and lowered his head so it was closer to her ear. "How long have you been keeping this from everyone? Have you told anyone in the first place?"

"No," Tohru whispered in reply. "I-I just remembered while we were taking our tests. I remembered playing with Yuki-kun and some other children…Then I hugged him, and he transformed!" Hotaru walked out of the room, while they were both talking, so now that they were the only ones in the room, they could raise their voices a little higher. Tohru continued with her story. "Once he transformed, all the kids we were playing with ran over and started screaming and shouting! Then a tall man, who I'm guessing was Hatori-san, came over and…" At the entrance to the nurse's office, the sound of someone clearing their throat filled the room and grabbed Tohru and Kyo's attention. They turned their heads to see Hatori standing in the doorway, his expression blank like it usually is. "Hello Honda-kun, Kyo," he greeted the two in a monotonous tone. Tohru smiled nervously as she got up and bowed to him. "Oh, Hatori-san! Good afternoon! Thank you so much for coming to pick me up!" Hatori nodded and kept the same blank expression. "Shigure called me up and said you weren't feeling too good, is that correct?" Tohru nodded in response. Kyo got up and gave her a light punch in the shoulder. "See you later. I'm going back to class." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and brushed passed Hatori and out of the room.

"I think we should go too," Hatori told her as he stepped out of the room. Tohru went over to the nurse's desk and signed the sign-out sheet before she followed Hatori out of the room. As they passed her locker, Tohru politely asked him if she could stop to get her messenger bag and her coat. He let her go, and then they stopped at Tohru's classroom so she could tell Mayuko that she was leaving, and that she would have to stay after one day to finish the final exams. As she headed out of the room, Tohru gave one last wave to Arisa, Saki, Yuki, and Kyo. She and Hatori walked quietly out of the building and to the car that was parked next to the curb. Hatori offered Tohru the passenger seat, and she gladly accepted. He opened the door for her and she sat down, brought her legs in, and let him shut the door. Tohru put on her seatbelt and settled herself in. Hatori did the same, and he started up the car and drove away from the school.

Tohru listened as the car drove smoothly on the neatly paved road. Once in a while, she could hear the sound of the tires running over small rocks, or the car driving over a sewer. Outside, the sky was clear and blue, and the puffy white clouds slowly moved as the earth turned. Bare trees now began to sprout leaves, most growing Sakura blossoms. Tohru ran her hand through her hair and looked at Hatori from the corner of her eye. His gaze was fixed on the road before him, and he occasionally moved his hands as they clutched the steering wheel.

"I was listening to what you were talking about with Kyo when you two were in the nurse's office," Hatori said briskly as he broke the silence. Tohru jumped in her seat with a, "Nya!" Hatori took no notice to this and only continued. "It seems that there's a lot of explaining I have to do…Because I _do_ know what you're talking about. I remember it very clearly.

"I had brought Yuki to the park that day because I was watching him for Akito. There were children playing together in a small area, and he wanted to join them, so I let him. I knew that the curse being discovered was a huge option, but he had been through so much the past few days that I let him go. After a while, the children brought the game to the forest, and I let him follow. I remained at park for a while, keeping to myself. That's when I heard the children screaming, and I knew it could only be for one reason. I went into the forest to find out that my horrors had become reality, which Yuki had transformed. I quickly brought the children to their parents and waited for him to turn back and get him dressed. As I brought him out of the forest, I knew what had to be done. I had to erase all of those children's memories. I had to roughly explain the situation to their parents, which I wasn't keen of doing. It crossed my mind once in a while that I should have erased their memories also, but at the time I was very aggravated and was thinking quickly. I had to receive the names of the children from their parents, one of the names being Tohru Honda." Tohru stared at Hatori in awe. He had explained it exactly the way she remembered.

"After a few days, you were brought to the Sohma house. I brought you to one of the rooms where no one would likely be so the suppression could be done. I remember the look on your face…You seemed so frightened of me. All of the children were. You all had a right to be. I'm not the nicest looking person around. I erased your memories, and let you rest for a little bit before your mother brought you home. She was very understanding, unlike the other parents who were shouting and crying. Yuki cried once all the memories of his friends were erased. He for once had found children who wanted to play with him, but had to lose their friendship due to the curse. I found myself angry for the longest time…I knew it had to be done, but I also knew that Yuki didn't deserve that…" Hatori stopped at the sound of Tohru's silent sobs. He decided to let her cry, and he wasn't going to speak unless she had a question for him.

_Yuki-kun_, Tohru thought. _He…He had to lose all of his friends…Because they found out about the curse…And _I _was one of them! I wish I never had my memories erased…I would have loved to be his friend! Could that be the reason why Kyo-kun stopped playing with me, because I didn't remember him anymore?_ Tohru pondered at this, then a question blossomed in her brain. "Hatori-san," she said quietly, grabbing his attention. "I thought when someone gets their memories erased, they only lose that little moment when they found out the curse. I couldn't remember anything from before I was eight, but then I remembered something…" Tohru cut herself off, recalling the promise she had made with Kyo about not telling anyone in the family about their childhood friendship. "In some cases," Hatori explained. "The memory loss can be more drastic than others. In your situation, you seemed to lose more than expected."

"Does everyone regain their memory eventually?" Tohru asked as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Hatori shook his head, his eyes still on the road. "It's very uncommon that someone will regain their memory once it's suppressed. Luckily, you knew about the curse so you had an idea about what was going on. But if it was someone else who didn't know about it…It can cause mental problems sometimes." Tohru slowly nodded and watched as Hatori pulled up to Shigure's house. She was unaware that they had even turned into the forest in the first place. Tohru put her hand on the door handle ready to pull it so she could open the door, but was stopped by Hatori. He had wrapped his hand around her arm to get her attention. "Do not tell anyone about what we just discussed," he told her firmly. "And if you would like to talk to me about this again, you're welcome to come to the Sohma house and ask me." Tohru bowed and thanked him for the offer, and for taking her home too. "I'll be by tomorrow to check on your temperature. Get some rest, and make sure you're not running about the house…You need to sleep to get better." Tohru smiled, and Hatori returned it with one of his rare grins. He drove away as Tohru reached the door of Shigure's house.

Tohru opened the door and slid off her shoes. From the entrance of the house she could smell steamed leeks and miso, which told her that Kyo had probably began cooking her dinner. Since Hatori had picked her up at the end of the school day, Kyo and Yuki had probably just gotten home. She slowly walked to the kitchen, beginning to feel groggy again, and told Kyo that she was home. As she headed out to tell Yuki and Shigure, Kyo told her to forget it and go straight to sleep. "But…Wouldn't they like to know that I've come home?" she asked him after he told her. Kyo stirred angrily at the miso soup as the steam from the pot floated around his face. "I'll tell them when I'm finished cooking. Just go to bed!" Tohru jumped and thanked Kyo for preparing her dinner, then ran up to her room. She changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She felt so bad that she had to lie in bed like that while Kyo was off making her dinner, but he, and Hatori, insisted that she should sleep. As her eyelids began to droop, Tohru thought about how she would tell Yuki that she was the little girl who had hugged him. Hatori's voice echoed in her head.

"_Do not tell anyone about what we just discussed."_

That was going to be hard.

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I'm sorry to say, but the next chapter is going to be the final one! I felt that the topic of this story really couldn't go a long way, and I'm also eager to start my next fiction, Painters! It's going to be a Kyoru story! Well, I hope you all liked this chapter, and I'll see you next time for the finale!

-September Whisper


	5. Memory Regained

I'm so sorry for being about three days late…I had a little case of writer's block! It's now the last chapter! I'm pretty happy at the outcome of this story, but I think I could have done better! I would like to thank all of the wonderful people who either read and/or reviewed this story! I appreciate it very much! I make a reference to Tohru's temperature in this chapter, and it's in Celsius. Now, here's the last chapter! Please read and review! Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fruits Basket, nor do I have any association with Natsuki Takaya, Hakusensha publishers, Hana to Yume Magazine, or TOKYOPOP (I wish I did!).

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**Chapter Five: Memory Regained**

It was now around seven o'clock and Tohru sat up in her bed, eating the delicious dinner Kyo had made for her. She had been sound asleep for a few hours and had slept off the majority of her fever. Yuki had come in to see how she was doing, along with Shigure as well. Momiji came over and brought her some games for her to play with him, and they both had a lot of fun. It was like a reenactment of the last time she was sick, and Tohru was extremely grateful for all of the concern everyone had for her being sick. Hatori was expected to arrive at the house anytime soon, causing Tohru to wonder if he was going to speak with her privately about their discussion earlier. Part of her wanted him to, so she could ask if she could mention it to Yuki, but part of her didn't want him to bring up the subject. Tohru just planned to wait and see what would happen.

Kyo sat in her room with her while she ate, just like he did last time. He continuously asked her about what she had remembered, and Tohru was hesitant at first about telling him, but ended up explaining the whole thing. She left out what Hatori told her, for fear of him finding out she had broke her promise. Tohru told Kyo about the children, hugging Yuki, and the large room. What she also didn't tell him was that it was definite she had had her memories erased. She was afraid of what Kyo's reaction would be.

"Was there anyone in the room with you?" Kyo asked her once she finished telling him everything. Tohru paused and took a spoonful of soup. "Eh, um, there was _someone_…I just don't know who…" Kyo shifted in his spot on the floor and perched an elbow up on his knee. "D'you know what they looked like? It could've been someone in the family…" Kyo had a strange feeling about who this person could have been. If it was the person he was thinking of then that meant…

Tohru put down her spoon on the metal serving try that was resting over her legs. "No...I-I'm sorry. I…I don't remember what he looked like." She began to feel her face sweating up. She didn't like the idea of lying to Kyo at all. "No idea?" Kyo questioned again. Tohru slowly shook her head as she stared at her bedspread. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach that just wouldn't go away. Kyo stayed silent for a minute, making Tohru think that she had said something wrong. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I said something wrong, didn't I? Oh, I'm so stupid!" Kyo stared at Tohru as he watched her talk on and on about how she must have said the wrong thing. He sighed and slightly chuckled. "You know, you worry too much. You didn't say anything wrong. I was just…Thinking." Tohru blinked. "About what? Is something bothering you?" Kyo paused and shook his head, getting up from off the floor. "It doesn't matter," he said. "Just eat. I'm come back later to get the tray from you." As he started out of the room, Tohru called out for him to stop. Kyo turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah?"

"Hatori-san…Did he say exactly when he was coming over?"

"Not that I know of…Shigure just said he was coming over later. Why?"

"Oh, um, I was just wondering! I don't want to be asleep when he comes because I want to make examining me as easy as possible for him!"

Kyo stood in the doorway for a little bit, then walked back into the room and sat on Tohru's bed. "You know, you like pleasing people too much. It gets annoying sometimes." Tohru smiled and ate more of her soup. "This is delicious, Kyo-kun! It's so nice of you to make food for me!" Kyo looked away from Tohru, his cheeks taking up a light pink color. "Yeah, well, if that damn rat made it for you, you'd be in the hospital right now from food poisoning…" Tohru sweat dropped. "And that idiot can't make popcorn on the stove even if he tried," Kyo stated. _Who…Yuki-kun?_ Tohru thought. Little did she know, Kyo was actually referring to Shigure that time.

The two both sat in silence while Tohru continued eating. Kyo ruffled the back of his hair and sighed. He was actually enjoying this little time to Tohru all by himself, even if they both sat without talking. It was better than sitting there with Yuki, who would constantly sweet talk Tohru until Kyo felt like he was going to vomit. Yes, it was comfortable, but Kyo knew it would eventually end once Hatori or someone else came. He didn't know whether he should leave now, or stay until they were interrupted. It seemed that Tohru enjoyed his company, so maybe he would sit there for a little longer.

There was a knock on the doorframe and Tohru and Kyo both looked up to see Yuki standing there, watching them both talk. Neither of them knew how long he had been there, but Tohru hoped that he wasn't standing there for the last ten minutes that she and Kyo talked about Tohru's memory. "Yuki-kun," Tohru said with a mouthful of soup. She quickly swallowed it and gestured for him to come in. Kyo grunted as Yuki brought the chair from Tohru's desk to her bed and sat on it, crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap. He flashed Tohru a nervous smile and brushed his bangs away from his face. Both Tohru and Kyo sensed that there was something wrong.

"I think I'm gonna go," Kyo said as he got up. Not only did he want to be in the same room as Yuki, but he had a feeling that Yuki was going to talk about Tohru's memory of him. Kyo started for the doorway, but was stopped, surprisingly by Yuki. "No Kyo, stay," he said flatly. Kyo looked at Tohru, who gave him a nod, and then leaned against Tohru's desk. Yuki took in a deep breath and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, um…It's kind of hard to bring this up, but…" Tohru put down her spoon and closed her eyes. It was now, or never. She knew she would be disobeying Hatori's orders, but Hatori was an understanding person, right? He wouldn't yell at her…He never yelled, only sternly stated things. Tohru knew she would be guilty about letting this out. "Yuki-kun," she said quietly. "I know what you're going to say…"

"You do? B-but…I haven't asked you anything yet." Yuki began to sweat drop as he continued to smile nervously. He had no idea what was going on. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to Ayame's shop with me again…He keeps calling up and asking me, so I thought I'd go so he would stop." Kyo collapsed onto the floor while Tohru uttered a 'Meep!' They both didn't expect that coming. Kyo sprang up, boiling with rage for no apparent reason. "Why the hell would it be hard to bring _that_ up?!" Yuki sighed in frustration at Kyo's sudden burst of anger. "Stupid cats like you just don't understand," Yuki commented. Tohru smiled tensely at the sight of them at each other's throats, but sighed in relief because Yuki was just inviting her to Ayame's shop. Yet again, it was very peculiar of him to actually want to go there. But Tohru smiled to herself and thought about how wonderful it would be if the rift between Yuki and Ayame would eventually close.

Tohru nodded and smiled. "I'd love to come with you, Yuki-kun! I'm sorry about what I just said…I thought you were talking about something else…!" Yuki returned her smiled and began to rock himself back and forth on the chair. Kyo had calmed down and was now once again leaning on Tohru's desk. Tohru picked up her bowl of soup and began to slurp it, giggling while she did. This caused Kyo's face to turn bright red and Yuki to emit a somewhat 'fake' chuckle. "It was very good Kyo-kun!" Tohru said happily as she placed down her spoon and pushed the tray away from her to show that she was finished. "Thank you so much for making it!" Kyo neared towards her bed and picked up the tray. "Finished?" Tohru nodded. With that, Kyo walked out of the room with the tray in hand and went down the hallway, and then down the stairs. Now Tohru and Yuki were left alone, making this the perfect time for Tohru to talk. But that moment just slipped out of her hands when Shigure appeared at Tohru's doorway, smiles and all.

"Tohru-kun! How are you feeling? Kyo-kun said you were up, but he told me not to bother you!" He came in and stopped before Tohru's bed, giggling. "But I couldn't resist! Making Kyo-kun angry is so much fun!" Yuki closed his eyes in annoyance and sighed as Shigure sat down on the edge of Tohru's bed. "You better not let him catch you in here, or else you'll be dead," he muttered. Shigure clapped his hands together and smiled at Tohru. "So, how are you doing? Haa-san should be here soon…He said that your fever should have gone down a little bit by now." Tohru smiled in return and nodded. "I feel much better! I feel so grateful that everyone is so concerned for me…But please, I'll be alright!" Shigure chuckled and gave her a pat on the head. "We know you will. But if you just listen and sleep, you'll get better even sooner."

"I know," Tohru replied. "But it's just…" Shigure hushed her by gently placing a finger on her lips. "No buts, okay?" Once he took his finger off of her sealed lips, she smiled. "Okay Shigure-san! Thank you so much!" Yuki shifted in his chair, causing it to creak and have Tohru and Shigure turn their attention to him. From downstairs, they all could here Kyo calling, "Hatori's here!" Shigure got up from his spot at the foot of Tohru's bed and excused himself so he could go downstairs and greet Hatori at the door. He left the room, leaving Tohru and Yuki alone once again. Tohru knew that this couldn't be a good time to tell Yuki, for Hatori would be up there any minute to give her an examination. She politely sighed and looked out the window, watching the sun slowly go down. The sky was now orange and pink, with more radiant colors to go along. Birds soared into the distance, and the naked trees blew to the beat of the wind.

Yuki saw Tohru staring out the window and began to look outside also. He admired the way the sky looked just as much as Tohru did. "Doesn't it look nice?" he asked her. Tohru turned to Yuki, taking her gaze away from the scene. "Yes! I love watching the sunset from here in my room! It's so beautiful…" As she her voice faded out she began looking out the window again. Both Yuki and herself found that they were doing this for about ten minutes, turning to smile at each other every minute or so. A thought crossed Yuki's mind as to why Hatori hadn't come up yet, but he assumed that he was talking to Shigure about something. Maybe what Tohru should do for the remainder of the night? He didn't bother to think about it. He just sat there so he could endure this wonderful moment while it lasted.

They both were interrupted by a knock at Tohru's door. Both of them turned their heads to see Hatori standing there with his medical bag. "Oh, hello Hatori-san!" Tohru greeted cheerfully. "Hello Hatori," Yuki said. Hatori nodded as his own greeting and walked to Tohru's bed. He cleared his throat. "If you would excuse us Yuki, I'd like to check Honda-kun for a minute…If you don't mind." Yuki nodded and got up, starting towards the door. "Alright, I'll be right back Honda-san." Tohru nodded and smiled as she watched Yuki walk out. Hatori shut the door behind him and went back to Tohru's bed. Tohru pushed the covers off and sat up so it would be easier for Hatori to examine her. The examination was going to be the same as last time, so Tohru rolled up her sleeves, ready for the injection Hatori would give her. He opened up his medical bag and took out the shot, preparing it without a word. He took out a little packet of wipes, opened it, and dabbed the spot on Tohru's arm where the injection would be taken place with one of them. Then he quickly injected her with the shot and took out medical tape and a cotton ball so the spot would be covered. Tohru was a bit surprised by Hatori's silence. Normally, he would have told her that the shot wouldn't hurt, or he would ask her how she felt. But this time he was a little too quiet.

"Hatori-san?" Tohru said as he threw out the shot and the packet of wipes. He nodded as if to let her know she had his attention. "Please don't mind me asking, but is something the matter?" Hatori took out his stethoscope and placed it around his neck, ready to examine Tohru's heart rate and breathing. He put the two plastic earpieces of the stethoscope into his ears, and placed the chest piece above Tohru's heart. "Don't worry about me," he said dryly. "Inhale." Tohru obeyed Hatori's order and slowly inhaled, then exhaled when he told her to. Then he brought his hand, along with the chest piece of the stethoscope, under the back of her nightshirt. The chill chest piece sent bolts of coldness all around Tohru's body as Hatori told her to cough. She tried not to arc her body in the other direction so the freezing cold chest piece wouldn't touch her skin, but she failed at that attempt. "I'm sorry!" she shrieked. "It's just really cold…I'll try not to do that again!" Hatori didn't reply, for he only continued to tell Tohru to cough and breathe. When that examination part was finished, he put the stethoscope back in his bag and took out a thermometer. Tohru opened her mouth and let Hatori slip the thermometer in her mouth to take her temperature. After three minutes, Hatori withdrew it from her mouth and held it up to the light so he could read what her temperature was. "It's fine now. I don't know what it was before, but it's thirty-seven degrees now," Hatori stated as he put the thermometer back into its little glass case and into his medical bag. "But just because your temperature is normal, doesn't mean you can go about your daily routine. Just rest for tonight, in case your fever acts up again. I think it was caused by a state of shock." Tohru knew what state of shock Hatori was referring to.

"Yuki-kun," Tohru said unconsciously. "Is it okay for him to know?"

Hatori stopped rummaging through his bag and stared at the bedroom floor. He sighed. "No, I don't think he should know just yet. I'm not sure how he would react to it, knowing that you had your memories erased. It could hurt him like it did when it happened, or he may just brush it off. It crossed my mind after I dropped you off earlier today. Then I came to the conclusion that he doesn't need to know. No one has really brought it up recently, so I don't think there's any need to bring it up now." Tohru watched as he closed his bag and picked it up off her bed. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Yuki-kun told me about it when I first started living here…Maybe it will make him feel better to know that my memory was regained!" Hatori pondered at what she said, but then shook his head. "That may be a possibility, but we can't take that chance right now." The light in Tohru' face dimmed a bit, for she really wanted Yuki to know. She felt their bond could grow stronger, like she felt with Kyo. If there was some way…

Tohru felt her eyes watering up. Her smile slowly drooped to a frown, and the tears began to fall from her eyes. She tried to hold them back, and she tried not to sob, but she felt a lump form in her throat. She coughed, and then unintentionally started to sob. Hatori took immediate notice to this and handed her the box of tissues that sat on her night table. "You don't have to cry about this, Honda-kun. I'm sorry, but I don't feel it's right for him to know." Tohru nodded and took a tissue from the box Hatori held. She quietly blew her nose and dabbed her eyes. "I understand. I just thought…I thought our friendship could grow stronger if he knew we were friends when we were little. Just like with Kyo-kun…" Tohru stopped once she realized what had just slipped out. She promised Kyo that no one in the family would know, and she just blew her promise. Hatori nodded as if he hadn't heard what she said. "I see…What do you think his reaction would be if you _did_ tell him?" Tohru looked up at him as a little spring of hope bounced in her stomach. "I…I would tell him exactly what I told you…Would that be too much?" Hatori shook his head. "No, that would be fine." He sat down on the chair Yuki had brought by the side of Tohru's bed. "Do you understand though, that telling Yuki can be risky?" She nodded and pulled the covers towards her so that they stopped before her chin. Hatori rubbed the back of his head. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, just like Tohru did when he was examining her. "You can tell him then," he told her. "If you are up to it, it's your decision. If you have any problems, let me know."

Tohru beamed at him. She was so happy that she could tell Yuki now! "Thank you so much, Hatori-san! But if you really don't want me to, I…" Hatori got up and shook his head. "No, that's alright. I understand that you would like him to know. I'll send him back in if you'd like." Hatori gathered his bag and smiled Tohru like he did earlier in the car, and she returned it with a glowing smile of her own. "Get well soon," he said as he stepped out of the room and headed for the stairs. Tohru waved as she watched him leave, and then she pressed her head into her soft pillow.

_How should I tell him? _Tohru thought to herself. She thought of ways she could play it out in her head, to make like she wasn't throwing the topic at him. Tohru suggested that maybe once Yuki came into the room, she could bring up the matter of the children from when he was little. Then she thought that she should just play it by ear to see what happened. _That doesn't sound like a bad idea!_

A few minutes passed, and Yuki still hadn't come up. Tohru wondered if maybe Hatori didn't tell him, or if he was simply just talking with Shigure about something. It was until another few minutes that Tohru heard footsteps coming toward her bedroom. She craned her neck to try and see who it was, but got an answer once Yuki came in. He waved and laughed, making Tohru laugh also. She sat up once again and pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear. Yuki sat in the chair by her bed and smiled, as if he didn't know what to say. They both sat in silence before Tohru began to address him with what she wanted to say. "Yuki-kun," she started. "There's something I need to tell you." Yuki looked up at her and slowly nodded reassuringly. "Sure Honda-san…You can tell me anything." Tohru swallowed and got ready for whatever laid ahead.

"You know how…H-how your friends' memories got erased when you were younger?" Yuki nodded, unsure of what Tohru was talking about. "Well…It's kind of hard for me to say this...But…" She paused, looking Yuki straight in the eye. Her small, child-like voice echoed in her head. _"I really like you…I'm happy we can become friends!" _"Oh Yuki-kun," she said as she held back sobs. "I'm so sorry!" Tohru began to cry once again, leaving Yuki bewildered, but surprised that she was crying. "Honda-san?! What's the matter? Did something happen?" Tohru shook her head and took a tissue from the tissue box, blowing her nose and running the tissue over her eyes several times to dry them. "I'm so sorry I hugged you! I didn't know you would transform! Because of me, your friends' memories had to be erased!" Yuki's mouth slightly dropped open. _Honda-san…Does she mean…?! _She_ was the little girl? But wait…How come she never told me sooner?_ He watched as Tohru cried and wiped her face free of salty tears. Then he remembered something; '_All of their memories were erased…'_

"Honda-san…Did you have your…Memories erased?" When Tohru didn't answer, but continued sobbing, Yuki came to the conclusion that she did. At first, he didn't know what to do, or even what to say. Then he put a hand on her shoulder and quietly hushed her with coaxing words. "Don't worry, there's nothing to be upset about," he told her. "How all of the sudden did you remember?" Tohru hiccupped and blew her nose before speaking. "I don't....I-I don't know. Hatori-san said that I regained my memory back! He said that it doesn't happen to everyone, but he said that we were all fortunate that I recognized what went on…He said that if someone who didn't know about the curse had remembered seeing a little boy transform into a rat, they could began traumatized, or go into a state of shock."

Yuki nodded, for he understood exactly what Tohru was talking about.

"And," Tohru continued. "I'm very sorry…If…If I hadn't _hugged_ you like that, none of this would have happened. You would have made friends with the other children, and even me! It's all my fault!" Yuki chuckled at Tohru's apology. "Honda-san, you shouldn't be sorry. It was an honest mistake! We were children back then. If I would have known better, I would've stopped you! But I didn't…So it's really my fault. You had no idea I was going to transform!" Tohru smiled, but still felt a ping of guiltiness inside. "I know, but I still feel bad!"

"You don't have to feel bad," Yuki reassured her. "Just be happy that we know each other now, and that you regained your memory! Is this what you've so quiet about lately?" Tohru nodded. "A little bit…I've just been so wrapped up in my thoughts…But I'm so glad you understand! I thought that maybe you would be mad at me for causing all of your friends' memories to be erased…" Yuki laughed, surprised to hear her say that. "I'd never be mad at you, Honda-san. I'm rather happy to know that it was such a cute girl who hugged me!"

At his words, Tohru's face turned a crimson shade of red. At the doorway, they could hear someone clearing their throat. Tohru looked over Yuki's head to see Kyo standing there, in face in a grimace-like manner. Tohru smiled and motioned for him to come in. Since Yuki wasn't sure if Kyo knew about all of this or not, he didn't want to talk about it anymore. On the other hand, Tohru was planning to ask Kyo if she could tell Yuki about their encounters with each other when they were younger. Kyo sat down at the foot of Tohru's bed, and the three teens sat and stared around at the walls for the upcoming five minutes.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru said. "What are you, Yuki-kun, and Shigure-san going to eat for dinner?" Kyo scratched the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know…Takeout?" He looked up at Yuki. "Don't expect me to make dinner for _you_, because that's the last thing in the world I would do!" Yuki closed his eyes and exhaled, as to try and control his temper. "Don't even bother, there's no way I would eat your cooking."

"Oh, so it isn't good enough for you?"

"Let's not fight in Honda-san's room."

"I'm not fighting!"

"You're surely trying to."

Tohru listened as they went back and forth at each other. She made a few attempts to try and stop them, but Kyo's shouting would just drown out her voice. _Maybe asking Kyo to tell Yuki about that now isn't such a good idea_, she thought as she smiled nervously to herself and sweat dropped. Now she wished she hadn't brought up the matter of dinner.

"I do so now how to make soba noodles! They're practically the easiest thing to make!" Kyo hollered. Yuki spat in disgust, "Stop yelling. You sound like an idiot." Kyo's anger rose and he balled his fist and shook with vengeance. "Just wait 'til I kick your ass one day!" he threatened. "You'll be sorry you ever messed with _me_!" Yuki smirked. "Don't you ever get tired of saying that?' Tohru held up her hands and shook them nervously. "Please stop fighting!" Shigure then came in the room and attempted to stop Kyo and Yuki's fighting. "You two! You shouldn't be fighting in Tohru-kun's room like this! Haa-san said she needed to sleep, so let her sleep!" Kyo got up and stormed out of Tohru's room, leaving just Yuki and Shigure with Tohru. Yuki got up and brushed off his pants for no particular reason. "I guess you do have a point," he said to Shigure. "Honda-san does need sleep…I'm sorry for fighting like that in front of you," he apologized. "I guess I'll go downstairs, or to my room. I'll come back later to see how you're doing okay?" Tohru nodded and waved to him as he walked out. Now Shigure was left, and he walked to the doorway as well. "Now you get some sleep, okay? I'm sure by tomorrow you'll feel fine. I can't wait to have some of your breakfast tomorrow!" Tohru laughed and waved as Shigure winked and walked out of the room. Tohru sighed, happy and satisfied. It felt so good to get that off her chest.

Tohru looked out the window, once again, at the midnight blue sky. The stars twinkled, as if they were winking at her, and the full white moon lit up the sky. She pressed her head gently into her pillow and drew the covers over her. Yawning, she reached over to her night table and turned the switch on the light, then the room was dark.

_Mom…_

_I learned a lot these past two weeks or so…I learned that I knew Kyo-kun when I was younger…I learned that I also knew Yuki-kun, too. I learned about Dad, and how you were such a loving mother during the time after he died…I'm so grateful that I got to learn all these things about not only myself, but about you, Dad, Yuki-kun, and Kyo-kun. It never really occurred to me that I ever had my memories erased…But I guess things like that are unexpected, right? I love you so much, Mom. Now I just have to plan my future…_

The End

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I hope you all enjoyed this story! On February first, I will hopefully have my new fan fiction posted! I hope you are all looking forward to it! Until then, have a good day!

-September Whisper


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